Senior School Newsletter Term 3 2025

From the Head of the School

We have been having a fantastic time in the Senior School, with a real buzz around the halls. Of course, this is due to everyone being so busy with a myriad of activities occurring. We had students visit the Ice Arena, law courts, Al-Khalil Cemetery, and the Flinders and Adelaide universities. And, somehow, we managed to fit in teaching and learning, too – and get some outstanding results! Indeed, it has been another busy whirlwind of a term, and we are all very much looking forward to the excitement that rest of the term will undoubtedly bring. 

- Afroza Sultana & Cassandra Domingo

Masterchef Competition

In what is fast becoming an annual tradition, we had all Year 7-12 teachers face off in a MasterChef competition after school in Week 6. What a fantastic way to celebrate Eid in cooking together and sharing a meal... all with a healthy dose of competition on the side. This year’s winners spanned the sub-school divide with the metaphorical trophy going to Sisters Fathimath and Erin, who created a High Tea feast for the senses. Honourable mentions must go out to chef extraordinaire Brother Ali, who created.... (chicken?), and multi-tasking guru Sister Deadra, who not only entered the competition but ran to the aid of every other competitor when they couldn’t find a bowl, required an extra frypan, or threatened to light the Halal House on fire. Safe to say, we all survived the experience and enjoyed a most delicious team building afternoon. 

My New Gallery

Movie day

As part of the Senior English program, Year 12 English and Year 11 Literary Studies students were invited to a special screening of L’Histoire de Souleymane (The Story of Souleymane) at Palace Nova Cinema. This contemporary French drama, rated M, explores themes of immigration, identity, and belonging, offering students valuable insights into French society, culture, and politics.

Stage 1 and 2 Literary Studies students have been studying the film in class, making the screening an essential part of their assessment preparation. For other attendees, the experience provided rich opportunities for language development, cultural appreciation, and critical thinking through authentic French dialogue and English subtitles.

What makes the film particularly powerful is its authenticity – most of the cast are non-professional actors, with the lead drawing from his own lived experience. Students left not only entertained, but also challenged to think deeply about the human stories behind migration and the role of cinema in shaping cultural understanding.

Ransom Letter

The Year 10 classes merged for some group work at the end of last term. They were given a very specific activity: create a ransom note from magazines that tell a narrative from the perspective of an insane mind. “Go crazy!” their teachers told them, and crazy the students went... with so much enthusiasm they spent their afternoon coming up with hilarious and deranged stories to back up whatever weird and wonderful word combinations they found amongst the magazine headlines. What a great way to end a very busy semester! 

Through Other Senses: Year 11 Lit Creative Responses

Ms Cassandra’s Year 11 Lit class have been studying Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See. One of the main protagonists is blind, and so, in a bid to heighten the other senses, the class had to consider this affliction and write a piece about an everyday experience without such an important sense. The focus was on utilising vocabulary that helped to build a sensory experience for their reader. Below are a few excerpts for which the students feel quite proud. How do you think they went? 

He settled into the chair he had sought refuge in hundreds of times. The chair welcomed him with open arms, whispering a subtle creak as the breeze of cold air and the sun’s heat curled around Barry like a bittersweet hug of reassurance... His mug of coffee provided a heartbeat of warmth in his hands and throat... The fine-drawn bitterness, and the sweetness of caramel and steamed milk danced on his tastebuds, followed by the nutty after-taste and lingering heat. Barry soaked himself in the chaotic yet intricately balanced ecosystem of life. To many, something as simple as the breeze is insignificant, but to Barry, he saw beyond the opaque distractions of the world. He felt tranquil yet euphoric – like he was right at home. 

Indeed, to love the beautiful is ordinary, but to love the ordinary is truly beautiful. 

• Dastan Zanganae 

A coolness begins to creep in as she approaches the wave that overlaps her feet. It comes in soft and foamy, swirling around her feet, and then the tide begins to pull away, stealing the grains from under her... Gulls cry from above, their voices sharp as shattered shells, cutting through the breath of the tide. The laughter of a child, screaming as the rushing water chases them... The sun drapes itself over her, so incredibly warm that it seeps into her skin while the sweat trickles down her back... If only she could witness the sunset and see it as they see, she would know of its picturesque beauty. 

• Elhaam bint Shameem 

The heat of the day lingers, a leisurely tide waxing in the shine and waning as clouds veil the sun, envious. A gentle breeze brushes against my cheek, carrying the scent of evening primrose... The feathery zephyrs weave through the creaking branches, carrying the tender voices of chattering foliage, suffusing the air with a melody of murmurs. 

The warmth fades. The breeze deepens, no longer playful but insistent. A hush settles over the earth, the air heavier, cooler... 

The day exhales its final breath. 

• Salihah Ilyas 

I draw air into my lungs, its essence pungent, combining the earthy aroma of crushed herbs with the sweetness of honey, and the faintest twinge of cedarwood. I continue to listen to the pervasive chanting voices as they rise and fall like a gentle tide. I bask in the serenity... and for a brief moment, allow my visions to drift like the curling smoke of incense, weightless and untethered. Although I could not see the visions with my eyes, I saw them with my soul. 

 - Sarah Colic 

That dark, rich scent- sharp and smoky – felt alive, like the café had exhaled after holding its breath for too long. I paused at the entrance, cane tapping lightly against the doorframe, listening as the world shaped itself around me, like a puzzle falling into place. 

Did the walls hold memories of every conversation, every hurried morning, every quiet moment like this? Somewhere to my left, a barista moved with ease. A spoon stirred against porcelain – soft, rhythmic. The espresso machine let out a burst of steam, a sigh of pressure released. A sugar packet tore with a faint crackle, grains spilling like scattered stars onto the counter. I imagined the golden crystals melting, swirling into the dark liquid... 

It was just another morning, ordinary in its rhythm, but somehow it felt like a moment suspended 

in time... 

And yet, in the quiet symphony of scent and sound, felt like something worth holding onto. 

• Aya Altaher 

... the hushed phone conversation drifts through the space towards me. The receptionist's voice is warm and polite; her words are indistinct but convey the rhythmic tone of practiced professionalism. I hear the quiet flip of paper as forms are completed; the soft scratching of patients' pens across the sheets echo through the room. Time 

stretches like a drawn bowstring, ready to snap the moment my name is called... 

Sighs and groans follow from patients in their seats around me, as if the chairs themselves are tired of waiting. Fabric rustles, and the whining of the lobby chair indicates someone adjusting their posture against the firm but not uncomfortable seat, seeking comfort that never comes... 

The names continue, each one chipping away at the waiting. Soon, mine will follow. Until then, I wait. 

• Hubaiba Abdul Rauf 

Term 2 Well-being Day

Term 2’s Wellbeing Day was a hit with everyone, young and old. Our senior leaders really shone as they ran the day without a single hiccup! The boys engaged in soccer, games and burger making, and the girls enjoyed an ‘amazing race’ around the College as well as games in the gym. Of course, there was also the obligatory run around an extended jumping castle which felt a bit like the students were playing their own part in a Japanese Ninja Warrior game! There were smiles all round.