Our leadership experience began on opposite sides of NSW, talking to each other, and the rest of the school, through our Loreto laptop screen. Although beyond typical in every sense, it characterised much of our leadership experience. Trying to form a Student Council from many different parts of the country, highlighted the importance of community and connectedness within a school, and how Loreto’s strong sense of sisterhood was a pillar of the Loreto identity. Under the guidance of Loreto staff, we as the class of 2022, worked to reaffirm community connectedness after two years of uncertainty. 

From the conception of our Student Council, we were asked to complete a ‘Normo in a Nutshell’ document for the incoming Year 7's, making us deliberate very early on, the type of impact we would want on Loreto, and what we wanted our school to look like. Simultaneously, we were exploring our theme of ‘Freedom’ as a year group, questioning what Freedom is not only in a broader context, but to a Normo student. It became clear that we are most free when we are together. Normo thrives on a type of community where every student has the back of another, and it is in this support, that we can truly liberate each other from a fear of failure and judgment. With this in mind, we formed our 2022 theme for Freedom as, “God’s love and the power of knowledge ignites the fire within that sets us free”. 

This drove many of our council and year group initiatives throughout the year, from organising house times to celebrating Harmony and Wear It Purple Day. We challenged traditional perceptions of freedom and amplified the importance of freedom that comes from within. Re-establishing traditions like Dancing in the Quad, Boarder vs Day Girl Benchball, and Super Girl Week, brought Normo spirit and the sense of fun back into our culture, working to bring back the vibrancy of Loreto life after two years of disrupted patterns. Celebrating both the 50th anniversary of Music Festival and 125 years of Loreto Normanhurst, working to bring a variety of social justice and bursary initiatives to fruition, and watching them come alive, has been some of the most rewarding experiences we’ve had. 

Under the guidance of Ms Ugonotti, Mrs Long, Mrs Parker, Ms Munro and other staff members, we have been privileged with the opportunity to learn from these amazing women, who epitomise the Loreto values, in which we were able to understand and extend to peers what it means to be a Normo girl. Nearing the end of our Loreto journey, we express our immeasurable gratitude to our Loreto education, which has provided us with endless opportunities and experiences that we will carry into the rest of our lives. As we embark into life beyond school, we will always remember the importance of community, and through celebrating our differences, empowering each other in our talents and knowing that freedom is found within, we may share with the world the unique gifts that only a Loreto education offers, as women of Mary Ward.