The ‘amazing’ race: Blackfriars’ Race to High School returns

The race to high school has been run – and won.

Blackfriars’ “amazing” race – the Race to High School – is an important part of our annual Year 7 Orientation Day.

On Thursday (9 November), the students raced around the school in teams, accompanied by members of 2024 student leadership group, to answer a series of questions, discovering some key locations and meeting staff members along the way.

There were also gifts for the 111 students ­– a mix of current Blackfriars Year 6s and boys who will be new to the school in 2024 – to collect throughout the race. Well done to the boys in Group 4 – Noah, Tyson, Vinnie, Joe, David, Hunter and Brody – who won the race with a perfect score in the fastest time. The boys each received a $10 Canteen voucher.

Director of Development Patrick Kelly (BPS’90), who introduced the Race to High School in 2018, said it was a fun way for the boys to familiarise themselves with the Secondary campus ahead of their first day of Year 7, as well as make some new friends.

“It started as a standalone event and was so popular that we incorporated it into the Year 7 Orientation Day,” Mr Kelly said.

“It’s great for the boys joining us in Year 7 to get to know the school, make some friends – some of those boys may be the only student, or one of only two or three, coming from their primary school – and gain some confidence ahead of their first day in 2024.

“But also for our current students, it’s a fantastic opportunity for them to further familiarise themselves with the Secondary School and get to know those key teachers. And, also, to make those new students feel really welcome.”

Current Blackfriars Year 6 student Jack Galkowski said Year 7 Orientation Day – which also included an information session, classroom visits and our Co-curricular Expo – was important because it was a “new chapter in our education”.

“We have some new rules and regimes we need to know, so having a day to understand all of this is very important,” Jack said. “I am looking forward to our new teachers and the new classrooms as well.”

Co-curricular Expo

Following the success of our inaugural event in 2022, the Blackfriars Co-curricular Expo has returned for another year.

Held as part of the Year 7 Orientation Day, stalls were set up in Neill Gymnasium with plenty of information for incoming Secondary students to learn more about the co-curricular opportunities on offer at Blackfriars.

“The expo is a terrific opportunity for the boys to chat to current students and staff involved in the different sports and activities before deciding what they might like to be part of in 2024 and beyond,” Mr Cox said.

“The co-curricular program forms an important part of the school and is closely connected to our Dominican pillar of Community. The sense of belonging, teamwork, discipline and school spirit gained from the co-curricular program are an integral part of each student’s journey at Blackfriars.”