On Thursday 21 September, the students of Coonamble High School, proud parents and members of the community gathered at the school’s Multipurpose Centre to bid farewell to their senior class.
The assembly began with the Australian anthem and school song which everyone sang and those who didn’t know the words mumbled along.
Deputy Principal Naomi Wrench invited everyone to welcome the year 12 class of 2017 to the stage for the last time. The school’s 2017 captains, Shania Tjahjana and Timothy Ibbott, came to the podium for their final speech.
Tim and Shania then introduced the 2018 school captains, Mitchell Browne and Angela O’Connor. The new school captains were presented with their blazers and badged, after a couple of tries, by Tim and Shania before reciting their pledge and thanking the school for their new role.
The new school captains then lead the proceedings, inviting Miss Panaretos to present the principal’s address. Students from each house also presented their goodbye speeches for the year 12 class, earning a few laughs from the crowd.
The year 12 students were presented with awards by the principal and their year advisors Lyndy Regan and Jaqueline Strudwick. Jaqueline and Lyndy then gave their speech, becoming emotional at the realisation that their coffee and croissant dates with the senior class were now over.
After a couple of stray tears and unstoppable snorts, the year 12 class then treated the guests to a slide presentation of their journey through school, with some interesting baby photos and surprise inclusion of Dwayne Forrest’s doppelganger, NRL star Aaron Woods.
With a final Goodbye, the Year 12 class of 2017 exited the hall to the sound of ACDC’s legendary ‘Thunderstruck’. Only as the assembly finished did the student body realise this would be the last of the 90s babies to walk through the school’s gates.
STORY: Angela O’Connor