At a certain
point you say
to the woods, to the sea,
to the mountains,
the world,
Now I am ready.
Now I will stop and be wholly attentive.
You empty yourself and wait,
listening...
Annie Dillard
Students share their journey with 2006 students and parents
On Tuesday, October 18th 2005, Year 13 students shared reflections on how Sacred Heart Education has impacted on their lives. These reflections were an incredibly powerful witness to the Goals of the Sacred Heart Network and a tremendous tribute to the students themselves, their families, and to the Baradene Staff. Thanks so much, girls, for your willing permission to share your lives with us on our website. We wish you every blessing for your future and hope that you will always consider Baradene family of the Sacred Heart, 'home'.
Francesca
Head Girl, Baradene 2005 right
Rebecca Wood middle
Julie Erceg left
Koroseta
Deputy Head Girl, inset
Hi, my name’s
Francesca and I’m Head Girl of Baradene this
year. As you’ve already heard tonight, there is a lot information
available on the goals and sometimes they can be quite complex.
That’s why I wasn’t aware of the relevance of the school goals to my life until just last year. Before then I’d always been aware of them, but I’d never really taken the time to think about how they related to me. I don’t think it was a bad thing that it took so long for me to click, because once I did I experienced this great feeling of understanding and appreciation of how Baradene has shaped the person I am today. For example: I am a Kidsline Buddy, that’s a telephone counsellor for Kidsline and I’ve come to realize that the community service I do is the “action” part of the goal, “a social awareness which impels to action.” The social awareness which was the root of my action was instilled in me at Baradene.
Up until recently I didn’t actually understand the phrase “personal growth,” so that goal had never really captured me. Now, however “personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom” is my favourite goal because I’m always trying to improve myself and become ‘a better person’ and this school goal encourages me to do that everyday.
Last year, our focus goal was “faith which is relevant in today’s world” and I really enjoyed learning more about that goal because it allowed me to identify with Catholicism and Christian teachings in a way that was comfortable for me.
The one goal which I’ve always understood is “a deep respect for intellectual values” because I’ve always appreciated my own intelligence and it was during my year 7 year that my mind was really stretched and my love of learning was fostered.
I still struggle with the meaning of this year’s goal, “the building of community as a Christian value.” Sometimes I understand but then as suddenly as the clarity arrives, it disappears again. And unfortunately when I was planning what I was going to say tonight, comprehension wasn’t forthcoming.
But I think that it’s ok not to completely understand some of the school goals as long as you make the effort to understand and learn something as you’re trying.
Ultimately, I feel that collectively these goals relate well to teenage girls and they work against conformist attitudes. They tell us, or at least they tell me, that it is a great idea just to be yourself as long as you take the responsibility for you.
Thank you.
Francesca Nicklin
Head Girl, Baradene
Rebecca Wood, Year 13 - Baradene
Coming to Baradene College
in Year Seven I made a pledge to the five goals of the Sacred Heart covering
the areas of: Faith, Intellectual Values, Community, Social Awareness and
Personal Growth.
Through the years I have reaffirmed this pledge, grown in the understanding and the relevance of the goals not only in the school but how they stretch into the wider community and in all my actions.
My Faith has grown over the
years and during this time I have been an active member on the Liturgy
Committee, planning school Masses and liturgies, been an Altar Server,
regularly taking part in mid-week masses and special occasions such as
leavers Masses. This has allowed me to contribute to other students and
parents celebration of their own faith.
My personal classroom
extends past the school grounds into activities such as MUNA (Model United
Nations Assembly) where I represented
Argentina in discussing the
problems facing the world today. Such activities give me a respect of the
intellectual values required to make not only our own community but also our
global community a better place to live together in harmony.
Building a Christian community for me extends beyond the Baradene community
and into the wider Sacred Heart community. I have visited Sacre Coeur in
Melbourne, on an exchange programme and through this I have built
friendships that I actively maintain. I am confident these friendships will
remain long after I leave Baradene. Through the exchange I was able to
return to the Baradene Community with experiences and ideas that I have been
able to translate into action for the benefit of all the school.
Social Awareness that impels
to action is very relevant for myself in that I have been able to actively
participate in the wider community through the Duke of Edinburgh Award
programme. I attained my Gold Award in 2005. Through these awards I have
been able to experience and learn from the tasks required and they have
helped not only myself, but also others during the process.
Accepting people for who they are, supporting them in all situations through
communication, friendship and conversation develops Personal Growth in an
atmosphere of wise freedom. Empowering students into action and supporting
events such as La Fete and Swimming Sports grows not only the individual but
develops a sense of belonging to the Sacred Heart community.
All 5 goals are carried out subconsciously – each event falls under each one. Even thought you may not recognise it at the time when you are younger, on reflection you will notice how much they help shape you and the actions you do. They help enrich you and guide you throughout your life.
Julie Erceg,
Year 13
Good evening Mums Dads Caregivers and our soon to be new Baradene girls. I would like to extend my warmest welcome to our new members of the Baradene Community.
My name is Julie Erceg and I am a year 13 prefect at this amazing school. I cannot believe the time has come and that I now stand before a new generation of girls as I sadly depart to a new chapter of my life. I know this may sound a little cliché but it seems like only yesterday that I was sitting right down there where you girls are tonight and listening to daunting bbbiiiigggg year 13’s speak.
Baradene is governed by it five goals and we are taught and encouraged to live these out in our daily lives. For me personally my portfolio on the Student Executive is Liturgy and Special Character. At Baradene our faith plays a very important part of our life and with faith you will communicate hope and confidence for you know nothing can separate you from Gods love. We have many special days at Baradene on which you will celebrate the mystery of Gods goodness.
Baradene encourages critical thinking and reasoning. The distinction between what you do and why you do it is an essential element in your education. Your imagination and creativity will be stretched because without these you cannot become a well-informed thinking sensitive person. Academic standards are set high and every girl is encouraged to achieve to her full potential.
When you come to a school of the Sacred Heart you become part of a family. I have accepted all people in school and community as family. Always share with them and give freely and you will receive.
Baradene will teach you to be Socially aware. Your studies will help you attain knowledge about Social and Moral issues. You will be given the opportunity to reach out directly to the needy as I was in Year 11 when I visited, for 6 weeks, an Elderly Rest Home and a Disabled Child Care. Be grateful for all – the Year 13 Leaders, the Staff, your classmates and your teachers.
Be thankful and show your gratitude by being attentive to all with whom you share your life with. The personal growth aspect of Baradene is something I have benefited from immensely. I completed my Bronze, Silver and then Gold Duke of Edinburgh, all thanks to Baradene giving me this opportunity. I had never tramped or camped but throughout the Duke of Ed training we tramped around Ruapehu in a blizzard, waded through rivers and climbed up and down mountain ridges for six days.
This truly was an amazing experience and one I will never ever forget. Playing netball for your school and partaking in dragon boat racing, cross country, swimming, athletics water polo and stage challenge are some of the activities I have personally participated in throughout the course of this year. This has certainly helped shape my life in one form or another.
On conclusion I would like to again congratulate you on your acceptance into Baradene. I believe Baradene is a school with outstanding teachers and facilities and will offer you all spiritual, sporting, cultural and academic activities beyond doubt.
You need to involve yourself in as many activities as you possibly can to enjoy the school to its fullest extent and you will be rewarded. Don’t just sit back and wait for things to happen – reach for the stars and make them happen.
Good luck girls and God Bless your journey through this school as a daughter of the Society of the Sacred Heart.
Hello my name is
Koroseta Va'ai and I am a year 13 student
here at Baradene. I’ve just been asked to say a few words about our school
goals and how it’s helped shape my time here at Baradene, both as a student
and as a person.
When I first came to Baradene, I really didn’t understand what those goals meant, to me they were just words…
It wasn’t until a few years later that I really understood how much these goals had played an important part in the way I acted with those around me and just the way I was as a person.
To me I saw these 5 goals (that you see on the banners) as bringing out the best in all of the students here in all facets of life, academic, sporting, cultural, and spiritual. It also instils in students a strong sense of social awareness and encourages the girls here to develop into independent young women.
I started Baradene back in 2001 as a year 9 student and I have personally benefited from these 5 goals in the past 5 years that I have been here. When I first came to Baradene I was quite the shy, quiet type, and through the years with these goals in mind, I grew as a person (at least I like to think I did).
In living out these 5 goals in the past 5 years that I’ve been here, I'd like to think I will leave this school with these goals still in mind. I mean, I hope to take away the lessons I have learnt from here, within the classroom in terms of academic stuff, taking this strong sense of social awareness and acting out with a sense of love and justice, I'll also take away the strong lessons I have learnt in terms of my faith and recognising God throughout my life. Throughout these past few years I have grown from the shy and insecure young girl I was to the older, I hope wiser, young woman you see before you now.
So as you come into this great school, which I will be sad to leave (even though I am counting down the last few days, I hope you guys will be able to enjoy the life Baradene has to offer as much as I did. And I also wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Thank-you.
Koroseta Va'ai
Deputy Head Girl - 2005