On Tuesday 11 August, we gathered in the school hall for a wonderful evening celebrating our Year 12 HSC Major Works. It was a joy to see the hall filled with proud parents, teachers and students, recognising the many and varied gifts God has given our students this year.
Major Works were on display for families to explore, alongside drama performances and interviews from the front of the hall. Year 11 blessed us with live music, and our Stage 5 Food Technology class served food they'd cooked earlier that day, a true whole-school effort.
Major Works represent months, sometimes years, of dedication and creativity. Rather than just tell you about them, we asked three of our Year 12 students to reflect in their own words.
Mr Peter Richardson - Director of Secondary
Hannah Papadakis – Design and Technology
Hannah built an Egyptian-inspired dining table, based on the traditional tablia used for floor seating and shared family meals.
"I wanted to take something culturally meaningful to me and turn it into a modern, functional work of art," Hannah said. Facing skills that were almost entirely new to her, she leaned on support around her: "What helped me push through was the support I received from the people around me, especially Mr Whitelock, my parents and my friends." She's most proud that she "was able to create something out of nothing, using the skills, creativity and resources God has given me."
Isaiah Williams – Multimedia
Isaiah created a concept EP combining songs, a film clip, website, photography and digital artwork, telling the story of a man in jail writing letters to his wife.
"I liked the idea of creating a world for listeners to explore, rather than just writing songs by themselves," he explained. Balancing his creative vision with HSC expectations wasn't easy: "Receiving feedback isn't always easy and I lost motivation at times. I had a goal to make something I'd be really happy with. Leaning into that helped me get going again when I got stuck." The project pushed him into new territory, from minimalist acoustic writing to recording live instruments, leaving him, in his words, with "more possibilities and motivation to continue down the same path."
Jemima Dombkins – English Extension 2
Jemima's piece, One Woman, follows two protagonists, one in a Tanzanian village and one in Maroochydore, exploring how a shared event plays out differently across cultures.
"I've really enjoyed the journey of creating and refining my piece, from imagining its possibilities almost 11 months ago to sending my 12th draft to my teacher for final feedback in recent weeks." Balancing this alongside a second Major Work in History Extension taught her more than just discipline: "I've loved leaning into the critical and creative gifts God gives us, and cheering on our friends when they get to do the same."
Thank you to our Year 12 teachers
Behind every Major Work, and indeed behind every one of our Year 12 students, stands a team of dedicated teachers who have poured their time, expertise and encouragement into shaping these young people. Whether it was guiding a student through a redesign, offering feedback late in the process, or simply believing in a student's ability when they doubted themselves, our teachers have played an enormous role in bringing these projects, and this cohort, to where they are today.
Stories like these remind us that academic excellence at ICS is never just about results on a page. It's about students discovering their gifts and growing in character, supported by a community that believes in them. Well done to all our Year 12 students, and thank you to the teachers who walked alongside them.
