30 30
AROUND CAMPUS
A SENSE OF BELONGING F0R 13 YEARS About 10% of students, across all cohorts at St Peters Indooroopilly, have been at the College since Prep. I caught up with three Seniors in that 10% – Isabel Taubert, George Thomas and Maggie Denk – and talked to them about their St Peters journey. C A SSIE T WEMLOW
publications officer
B
eing at the one school for 13 years can produce quite a lot of memories. From the expected, Year Level progression-based milestones, to others a bit more unique. When I caught up with Isabel, George and Maggie, it was amazing to hear them recounting the same ‘favourite’ memories. They also shared some that were a little more personal, starting with their first ones. Isabel described her first memory of St Peters after arriving from England. “I went home and was so excited to tell my dad that my new school sung the Rugby song,” she told me sheepishly—young Isabel was referring to Advance Australia Fair. Having grown up watching Rugby, she heard it each time there was an international game! George, on the other hand, said he’d been here since he was one. “My older sister [Abigail] went to St Peters too and I used to be wheeled through the [then] Junior School,” he said. George reflected on how some Year Levels seemed to go quicker than others. “Like, Year 3 is annoying so it seemed to take forever,” he joked. Ironbark was an obvious highlight for all three Seniors and it’s not limited to just them. Each year when we interview our Seniors, the consensus is always the same— Ironbark is unforgettable. “It was an incredible five weeks. There’s a special bond you have with people that you spend that amount of time with,” Maggie said, insisting that most of her closest friends now are ones she made at Ironbark. Isabel explained that she learnt a lot about herself during the experience. This, she put down to the isolation and lack of everyday things like social media, parents and peers telling you who you should be and what goals you should have.
Plus Ultra | June 2021
“Solo [hike] was incredible,” she said. “You spend so much time on your own [that] you really figure out what type of person you want to be. It was a really great reset before going into my Senior years.” Another stand-out memory is Kaleidoscope. Again, all three students participated in the 2017 ‘Mirror Ball’ performance of Kaleidoscope and reflect with varying degrees of sentiment. “I was no stage talent, or anything - I can’t sing or dance to save my life - but I’m so glad I did it, just for the fun,” Maggie shared with me. Isabel, on the other hand seems to be scarred for life! “I have a lot of fond memories from Kaleidoscope. It was a bit hectic and I still can’t hear the intro of Footloose without totally panicking… ‘5,6,7,8 where do we have to be on stage?!’ Chaotic, but super fun!”, she laughs. George likens his time in Kaleidoscope to that of many other extra-curricular activities he’s been involved in. “Kaleidoscope was really enjoyable, as was the [Year 6] Canberra Trip and all the Sport and Music tours. They were real highlights for me.” All three students reflected on how, over the years their friends have changed but, for Maggie, it was different two-fold. “I was accelerated in Year 2,” she shared. “So I’m supposed to be in the 2022 cohort. This means I’m still friendly with some of the people from my previous cohort.” Maggie added, on the friend front that one of the benefits of being here for so long means that your friends are actually more like family. “I would never feel awkward about having a conversation with someone who I’ve been with since Prep, even if it had been ages since
