Message from Year 12 College Captains

Welcome back, everyone! We hope you had a fantastic break and are ready to jump back into another exciting term. Term Three brought many exciting events to the College; it’s always a hectic but rewarding 10 weeks and this year was no different.

From the very first week of Term Three, the Performing Arts was in full swing, preparing for the Musical, the GCCC Drama Festival and Eisteddfod. Although the students and staff involved may have spent every night of the week at rehearsals (especially those involved in all three), the final performances were worth every moment. Somerset’s performance of Legally Blonde was an entertaining night on all fronts and the audiences definitely walked out of the theatre humming the tunes under their breath (I couldn’t get the song Ireland out of my head for days).

During the early weeks of Term Three, 36 Italian students spent three weeks with Somerset families. It was a wonderful exchange and both the Australian students and their Italian billets had a fantastic time and a sad farewell. Week 3 also saw students swap their school shoes for running spikes in preparation for the much anticipated Athletics carnival. After two days of coloured zinc, sausage sizzles and serious sport, there could only be one winner. In the end, Franklin came out victorious in the Senior School, Andrews in the Junior School and Starkey for the combined trophy. Somerset also took out the APS athletics championship for the third consecutive year. (Go Spartans!)

For the Year 12 students, Term Three was marked with assignments, exams and, of course, QCS. The Senior Common room was quiet for the last few weeks of term as everyone buried their heads in their books and made the most of their time. The conclusion of Term Three saw Year 12 breathe a collective sigh of relief to have finished their primary exams.

This brings us to what will be the last term for the Year 12s. A time for us as a cohort to reflect on the years that we’ve spent at the College. What we have learnt, how we have changed and what we will remember our schooling for. I’m sure this final term will moisten the weary Term Three eyes of many Year 12s. But there are still many ‘last times’ to relish and remember so now is not the time for tears, yet.

In all its glory, Term Four promises an energetic and emotional finish to the year. Especially in the highly anticipated end to the enigmatic futsal season. Will the teachers be the inaugural futsal champions? An answer will be given in Week 2; make sure you get down to the basketball courts to see the finals. We will also see the continuation of the summer sport season. After all the sporting success the school has had this year, premierships from the hungry basketball, AFL, touch, water polo and cricket teams would only make it sweeter.

Mr Oman’s inaugural Somerset Celebration of Entrepreneurship takes off on Tuesday 10 October and runs over two days. The programme runs in a similar way to the Celebration of Literature, which everyone would be acquainted with. Commerce veterans and start-up founders will join together on stage and in their own sessions that will be run for students. After pushing through the last round of exams (good luck IB kids), the College community will be rewarded with a range of events in the Performing Arts arena. Cultural collages and end of year concerts will not fail to disappoint. Finally, Week 6’s sports finals will be the final acts of sporting heroic for the Year 12s. Go hard and leave nothing on the field.

The final two weeks of the term include the Valedictory Chapel and Dinner, Avenue of Honour and Scholar’s Day. These events mark the last occasions for Year 12s to farewell fellow students and the many teachers that have shaped us.

On behalf of the Class of 2017, thank you to all the teachers, staff and students who have been a part of our school lives. You have made all the difference and will not be forgotten.