By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
FIVE years after it opened, Nossal High School continues to put an enormous emphasis on new students, celebrating their arrival with a special Foundation Assembly every year.
The annual assembly, held on Monday morning, recognised the Berwick school’s new cohort of Year 9 students and a host of others across Years 10 to 11, as well as new staff.
Previous school captains were also invited to attend the assembly as a representation of the school’s brief history.
Sir Gustav Nossal, after whom the selective entry school is named, presented badges to students during the assembly before parents were invited to stay for morning tea to meet him and their child’s teachers.
Assistant Principal Wayne Haworth said Sir Gus presented the students with their badges as a symbolic gesture of being welcomed into the Nossal community.
“Typically at the end of the ceremony Sir Gus meets the families of the new students,” Mr Haworth said, speaking before the assembly.
“It’s not uncommon for him to be swamped like a rock star.”
Mr Haworth said it could be very daunting for students to start at a new school, but the assembly helped to ease this transition.
“It’s been a couple of weeks since the new students started. It’s been a steep learning curve for the Year 9s, they need to familiarize themselves with their new environment,” he said.
“At the assembly the new students are actually welcomed into the school by their house captains. Sir Gus, a significant figurehead, also announces each student by name as they are presented at the assembly.”
