The transition from primary school to high school can be a difficult time for many girls, as they make new friends and adjust to new environments and experiences.  

In 2019, to assist Year 9 girls’ journey through to their senior years, Mercedes College has implemented a new program for their young women (and their families) to help them transition from childhood into womanhood.  

Adapted from The Rite Journey created by educator Andrew Lines, the program was launched to Year 9 families in February and involves a series of important ceremonies each term. 

The first stage, the ‘calling’ of daughters, involved the sharing of personal journeys with students exploring who they are and where they come from.  

The next stage in Term 2 will explore boys and relationships and will focus on self-image, etiquette, and responsibility for self and others. 

Friendships will be the topic covered in Term 3 and will look at building positive, mutually beneficial relationships.  

The year will culminate with a Rites of Passage ceremony, which will include team building activities and a camp in the Swan Valley with an emphasis on outdoor education and self- awareness. 

College Principal Kerrie Fraser said she was very excited about the program.  

“We hope this program will help change the thinking of our young women away from relying on their peers for answers and their risk–taking behaviour, to something that is far more positive,” she said. 

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