Co-ordinating the cohort: meet our Middle School Year Level Co-ordinators

From the moment they stand under their House banner with butterflies in their stomachs at the start of school, until they open their time capsules in the Quad on their final day of Year 12, all students in a year level cohort journey through a range of experiences and rites of passage. To name a few in Middle School, there’s the Toona camp, the Human Rights Convention, the Safe Party Forum, Ted Talks, English essays, Pythagoras and Food pyramids. Over time, the cohort form a sense of belonging, an identity and many unique friendships. Together they watch each other grow from pre-teens into young adults, passionately expressing their freedoms and rights, deeply feeling the emotional rollercoaster and living the joys, frustrations and losses of being a teenager.

This year, for the first time in Middle School, we have a ‘full set’ of Year Level Co-ordinators travelling this journey with their cohort. Sarah Cassidy Year 7, Rhys Adams Year 8 and Mat Shill Year 9 are bringing their empathy, expertise, knowledge and endless patience to their roles.

I spoke to Sarah, Rhys and Mat about their roles, what they’re looking forward to this year and which year they think is the best!

What is your theme for the year level?

Sarah: Year 7 is all about making a positive start to high school by honouring the skills we’ve built in the junior years and being open to new challenges, ways of thinking and learning.

Rhys: The Year 8s are unpacking their passions. Using guest speakers and activities throughout the year, we are hoping students can unlock what motivates them, what their passion might be and how to put things into action. There are many Carey stories of past students sparking their path in Middle School and following their passion as a career.

Mat: Our Year 9 theme for 2025 is Fostering an Explorer’s Mindset. It’s all about encouraging students to approach the year with curiosity, courage and a willingness to step outside their comfort zone. As they stand at the threshold between Middle School and their senior years, we want them to challenge themselves, take initiative and begin to understand who they are, and who they’re becoming, both in and beyond the classroom.

What strategies help create a year level identity?

Sarah: A culture of inclusivity, responsibility and respect for others. Having a shared goal of ‘doing our best’ may look different for everyone but it is achievable for all.

Rhys: A focus on kindness – being kind to self and those around us – and remembering forgiveness by promoting positive interactions among students and staff, along with using storytelling as a way of linking the theme to real-life experiences.

Mat: Building a strong year-level identity starts with a shared language. We weave our Explorers Mindset theme through every experience. Student leadership is especially powerful in Year 9; when our leaders live the values authentically, we see greater uptake from those around them. We also build small but meaningful traditions: 30-day challenges, student shout-outs, birthday messages, student-led reports and community celebrations.

Highlight so far?

Sarah: It’s hard to beat the Toonallook program that happens for all Year 7s in Term 1. The Banksia Peninsula on the Gippsland Lakes is one of the most beautiful and pristine places in Australia, and we are lucky to call a slice of it ours.

Rhys: The Year 8 Parent/Guardian positive relationships forum. To hear the conversation happening on each table between our students and families was really positive. The huge turnout demonstrates how our community is engaged and keen to learn from each other.

Mat: One of the great joys of being a co-ordinator is seeing students find their voice. It often happens in unexpected moments: a quiet student stepping up at assembly, a musical performance at our Year 9 forum, or simply observing student kindness when no one’s watching.

Which year is the best year – Year 7, Year 8 or Year 9 – and why?

Sarah: Year 7 is undoubtedly the most important year of schooling as we welcome more new students to Carey than any other year – this gives plenty of opportunity for new connections, new beginnings and new opportunities!

Rhys: Year 8 is a time at school where students are finding new connections, trialling new subjects/co-curricular pursuits and a time when bodies and minds are developing at a fast pace. This is an exciting cohort to work with.

Mat: Year 9 is a transformative year. Students are beginning to stretch themselves in new ways, but still need structure, support and expectations. They're learning to make decisions, test boundaries and figure out who they are. This age group requires flexibility, patience and a deep understanding of where they’re at.

What are some of the unexpected delights of being a co-ordinator?

Sarah: Making those connections in incidental communication each day. Our students always surprise us with tales of what’s happened in a lesson, on the weekend, at APS – they’re eager to share the learning and fun. A shout out to the homeroom teachers in particular who do such wonderful work with our Year 7 students. Having been the Year 7 Co-ordinator for three years now, I’m lucky to know every student in Middle School this year!

Rhys: The interaction with a wide range of staff. This role covers a lot of the aspects of student life at Carey and this means we interact with staff from our professional team, sporting teams and performing arts staff, just to name a few that this role supports. We have a collaborative and engaging team at Carey and it’s wonderful to work alongside them.

Mat: The Year 9s really are a joy to work with and I'm incredibly proud of the growth they've shown in one term.

Meredith Plaisted
Head of Middle School