President’s message

EX-STUDENTS’ NEWS

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

I fondly remember Year 12 being the most enjoyable year of my thirteen memorable years of schooling at PLC Sydney. However, naturally, preparing for my HSC exams was exhausting, and I was keen for that year to end as quickly as possible!

In hindsight, after this year’s events, I see that I took for granted seeing and speaking to my teachers and friends as frequently as I wished. Our Year 12 teachers often used the word “resilience”, encouraging us to develop into resilient young women who withstand disappointment and move forward with optimism and continued hard work. I can confidently say that my year group could never have anticipated a global pandemic shaping our final year at school. As President of PLC Sydney’s ExStudents, I attend several special, albeit online, events at the conclusion of Term Three. I enjoyed eating lunch with the Class of 2021, sending a video message for the Graduation Assembly, and cheering on from home as the 2022 School Leaders were installed. When I reflect on my own experience in Year 12, the main difference was that my parents and brother attended these events in person and shared my excitement. In the break-out rooms during the Graduation Lunch, instead of dwelling on how they felt they had missed out on some special events, our Year 12 girls reflected on the friendships they had formed during their school years and how this support had guided them through the challenges of 2021. There was no overt sense of negativity or disappointment but rather hope and optimism for the exciting next stage of their lives, underpinned by the values instilled in them throughout their PLC Sydney education. I anticipated feeling sorry for our Year 12 girls - but instead of a sense of pity, I feel proud of the resilient young women who are graduating from the College this year. They are a testament to the support of their teachers, families and friends - these young women epitomise resilience. In March, I felt so energised and excited to lead our Ex-Students, and with the support of the Committee, we had grand plans for the events and activities in 2021. I could never have envisaged such a significant disruption to our calendar. I know our community was disappointed to hear we needed to cancel Jersey Day, our flagship annual event for the second year in a row. However, rest assured the Committee has used the downtime productively - improving our processes and documentation and preparing a strategic plan for 2022 and beyond. We have defined a new Vision, Mission and Purpose, which will underpin our initiatives going forward. We have also adopted a new constitution and reviewed and changed some of our current events and activities. I am excited to announce developed new initiatives to be rolled out from next year - stay tuned! I wish to thank the Committee for maintaining their momentum this year even when our hard work sometimes felt it had gone to waste, which it certainly has not. In particular, I also wish to thank, on behalf of all exstudents, Philippa Zingales, Director of Alumni Relations, for her ongoing tireless work for our Committee and the ex-student community at large. We are all grateful to Dr Burgis, the College’s leadership team and all academic and support staff for caring for our current students and continually finding ways to keep them motivated this year. Unsurprisingly, PLC Sydney banded together as a family. Ahead of a busy year of ex-student activities next year, I will be taking the time over the Christmas break to enjoy quality family time - and welcome into the world, my second child! Most of my family and friends have not seen me during my pregnancy, so it will be very special to spend quality time with them and enjoy my beautiful children. If “returning to normal” means enjoying the company of loved ones, I am so looking forward to this.

I wish you all a blessed Christmas and a brighter New Year.

Mia Joseph (Ilias, 2009)

Ex-Students’ President