On Friday, 5 February, the Ormiston College student body, members of the College Executive and Board, staff, special guests and invited parents all assembled to witness the annual Prefects Investiture and the Year 6 Student Leaders Induction.
This ceremony has become a significant Ormiston College tradition that generates a very special feeling of expectation for many of its attendees, not just the elected students. It is a time of enthusiasm and justification for many staff members who, over a period of time, have observed and acknowledged the potential of the students they then elected for the important roles that lay ahead, knowing these students can be trusted in successfully taking-on the rigours of leadership.
An Ormiston College education looks to inspire a strong work-ethic that will successfully lead to lifelong learning: it requires its students to be responsible individuals by always showing consideration to others; moreover, it provides many opportunities from Prep through to Year 12 for its students to develop leadership skills.
The presentation creates a strong sense of belonging and pride for all who attended the event. The program allowed guests to hear the Headmaster, Mr Brett Webster, speak of the importance of leadership within the College. Guests witnessed the Mayor of Redland City, Councillor Karen Williams, present the two 2021 College Captains, Charlotte Lane and Sam Dench, followed by the eleven Prefects, Sarah Arnold, Ava Bampton, Oriana Brain, Joshua Honeycombe, Khaled Khan, Amity Logan, Tarni McCosker, Darcy O’Brien, Dhruv Sriram, Claudia Van der Veen and Koby Wood with their badges.
The Chairman of the Board of Ormiston College, Mr John Miller, presented the ten Year 6 Junior School Student Leaders, Jack Baxter, Abigail Cameron, Thomas Donnellon, Rachel Hare, George Hayden, Claire McNamara, Sophia Pengelly, Ben Skinner, Jess Sutherland and Andrew Tanner.
As part of her speech College Captain, Charlotte Lane, asserted “ Today, as the 13 of us officially take on the role of your 2021 College Prefects, we look forward to implementing many initiatives to create a year filled with unforgettable memories.” She went on to say “Commit to all areas of your school life and demonstrate pride in doing so. This year we aim to foster the connection in what unites us as a College. Connecting with your friends, peers, teachers and co-curricular teams is what will make this year like no other.”
This was followed by College Captain, Sam Dench, who directed his address to the Year 12 students, in which he said “Build connections, build relationships and build friendships. Not only do these friendships give you the opportunity to lean on each other, they also make the tough times a little easier. So, as we count down the days together between now and the end, we look forward to working alongside you and we encourage you to make the most of all the co-curricular activities run by the Leadership Committees and build those everlasting connections.”
A meaningful conclusion to an annual tradition that involves the whole student body and unites the entire Ormiston College community. All attendees left the event with pride and confidence in the leaders of 2021.