A Wenona Thing
Tennis Captain and Year 12 student, Brielle, defined what ‘A Wenona Thing’ is, taking inspiration from a book that she and her classmates wrote and illustrated in Year 2, in 2014.
Each week, our Student Leaders share their insights with their peers in Assembly.
My name is Brielle and I am your Wenona Tennis Captain. I am a passionate individual who appreciates the ups and downs we endure and the chapters we create for ourselves.
Year 12 only has 66 days left of lessons and upon reflecting on my time at Wenona, I remembered a speech that former Deputy Principal, Mr Watt, gave at Celebration Day, which expressed that being part of such a supportive and unique community is what allows young women to discover who they are, as they grow and shape their world. At the time, I didn’t exactly understand the significance of these words. In fact, ‘Year 3 me’ thought I knew exactly who I was. However, as I wrote my personal statements, resumes, university and college applications, and uploaded photos for our Year 12 Valedictory Dinner, I couldn’t help but appreciate the importance of Mr Watt’s speech.
Upon going through old photos of my time at Wenona, I discovered the book, ‘A Wenona Thing’, proudly written and illustrated by our Year 2 class in 2014. The book is about five characters: Ricky Resilience, Connie Confidence, Pete Persistence, Oscar Organisation and Gabby Get Along. The book was dedicated to help shape, empower, and remind Wenona students of our constantly changing selves. So, I thought I might share with you how each ‘Wenona Thing’ character has made memorable marks on my life and helped shape the person I am today. I also want to highlight that this week is National Reconciliation Week and the 2024 theme, Now More Than Ever, recognises that we need to connect with one another in order to make greater change for our society.
Starting in Kindergarten, I had my first wobbly tooth, and I could not wait for it to fall out. I sat there at recess with my friends and Year 5 buddy wobbling this tooth, at the ready to snatch it from my mouth. However, as I chomped on a cracker and checked again, the tooth was gone. It was not in my mouth. My heart sank. I had, in fact, swallowed my first tooth. Tears streamed down my face, as I ran to my Kindergarten teacher, blubbering that there would be no gold coin for me from the tooth fairy. But fear not, because swooping in was Ricky Resilience, teaching me that not everything will go my way and sometimes we will face difficult situations, however, we can all work together to find a solution.
Fast forward to Year 5 Camp – where I met with Oscar Organisation. Our cabin had ants crawling out of the walls as a member of our room had left a half-eaten Anzac cookie on the floor. We all swarmed for our bags, chucking everything onto our bunk beds. I launched myself onto the bug spray, spraying the abnormally large ants. Our culprit soon came forward, admitting to accidentally dropping the cookie. We all laughed, calling her a pest, and went to spray her with the bug spray. Except, the nozzle was not facing her. In fact, the nozzle was aiming directly into my right eye. Unaware of this, I pushed the button down hard, blinding myself with the bug spray. So, as I danced around the room, my eye burning, my friends laughing, I learnt the lesson of always double checking I’m doing the right thing before committing to my actions.
Moving on, tennis has always been an important part of my identity and a way that I have expressed myself. Playing a competitive match or simply going to training with those who also have a passion for tennis, has always been a freeing experience, and has taught me very important life lessons. Being a part of the Wenona Tildesley Shield Team presented me with so many personalities and a visit from Gabby Get Along. Many different year groups allowed me to understand when individuals work together, we are at our strongest. I also adopted the lessons given to me by Connie Confidence both on and off the court, which taught me to always persevere and remain optimistic regardless of the situation.
Last, but not least, it is Pete Persistence who has paid me the most visits this year. As I walk into School each morning, heading to my locker, I am met with the GPLA stairs. I take a deep breath as I prepare myself for the mountain I am about to climb. I smile to let the stairs know I appreciate the leg workout that I have endured before my day has even really started. As my younger sister struggles to hold the conversation we were having moments ago and my legs feel like they may indeed be on fire, I let out a gasping laugh questioning how on earth she could be out of breath. Pete, my persistent man, lets me know we are almost there and allows me to keep pushing myself regardless.
To conclude, it’s the Wenona community I will always be grateful for. Being able to attend an independent girls’ school that empowers and shapes young women, has enabled me to take advantage of the countless opportunities that I am granted and helps me discover who I am. Being part of an environment of students who support each other and ‘celebrate to elevate’ one another, as well as recognise our differences, is something that is so unique and special to this School. Coming together and commemorating each other and our connections is so important and is truly ‘A Wenona Thing’ that we can spread to our wider communities.