“Hello, I’m Ellie. I joined Sacred Heart in 2005 (K3). I plan to go to South Australia for University. 

When we were kids we used to tell the most outlandish stories. We would all take rumors and hearsay so seriously. I don’t know where it came from, but when I was in kindergarten, it was for some reason common knowledge that a snake lived in the little forest behind the swings in the playground, and that it had once killed a three-year-old boy. Naturally, we were all terrified of the forest, but fascinated by it at the same time. Once when I was about five, my brother went into the forest to explore and I cried and screamed, certain he was going to get attacked by some hideous python. He, of course, came out unscathed. But it took me many years to realize that there probably wasn’t a murderous snake on our campus.

There are so many other memories to choose from, many being music-based. I’ve been at ISSH for a while, and throughout my time here the Fine Arts program has really grown. Mrs. Horn’s done an amazing job of pushing us to our limits while allowing us to have a good time at the same time. I really miss singing under her direction. One of my favorite memories is the last time Vocal Ensemble sang together (physically together, anyway). Mrs. Horn had just told us about the DC trip being canceled, but she asked us to sing a piece we had been working on right after. Most of us were bawling our eyes out, so the singing wasn’t the prettiest, but it was hilarious. It was a wonderful moment for us to share.

My favorite excursion was definitely Hiroshima. The fact that it was our last excursion together made all of us determined to have the best time ever (and we succeeded!) Plus being in a place as beautiful and moving as Hiroshima has a huge effect on you. We all came together, and many of us cried, but it was so wonderful to feel comfortable enough to cry in front of your entire grade. Hiroshima is somehow the perfect mixture of saddening and uplifting. 

A computer just isn’t a substitute for a teacher, so I’m really thankful for all of the wonderful teachers who guided me throughout my years at ISSH. I miss inspiring lessons and conversations with teachers and I even miss the little “hellos” in the hallway from certain teachers. I especially appreciate the teachers for whom I wasn’t an easy student. Teaching me maths, for example, required a lot of patience, but my maths teachers never gave up on me and gave me all the time I needed to improve. 

I think a lot of my classmates would agree with me when I say that you really have to make the most of your high school years while you have them. Take risks, make mistakes and memories. It will end sooner than you think (a LOT sooner, in our case). If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this pandemic, it’s that nothing is certain, so, as cliche as it sounds, make the best of things while you can.” – Ellie