Year 12 graduates hit the beach on the Sunshine Coast
Across Queensland, schools celebrated the end of an era, honouring Year 12 graduates with school parades, guards of honour, and send offs in cars covered in message of love before many hit the beach. SEE THE PHOTOS
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SO many emotions.
Tears of joy from proud parents. Hugs among mates that seemed to last a lifetime.
Across Queensland, schools celebrated the end of an era, honouring Year 12 graduates with school parades, guards of honour, and send offs in cars covered in message of love from family and friends.
On the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, the beach was the fitting finale as hundreds of students swarmed into the surf, tearing off school uniforms as they crashed into the waves.
On the beaches, parents and police watched at a distance as the culmination of years of schooling came to a jubilant end.
At Mooloolaba Beach, students from state and private colleges enjoyed the waters in perfect 25 degree conditions while normal beachgoers might have been left wondering where their peaceful serenity went.
Hats, ties and school uniform tops were hurled into the air while the bravado among the boys quickly escalated to hand to hand combat on mates’ shoulders.
Earlier, there were scenes across schools of pure emotion.
At Suncoast Christian College, the entire student body, from preschoolers to Year 11s formed a guard of honour across half of the campus where Year 12 students filed through.
It was a scene no doubt repeated across college campuses.
Some students were in tears as they hugged school buddies from younger years, thanked teachers who had invested in their education, and received parting praise and final words of wisdom from college leadership.
Then it was time for the final goodbye at the campus as students packed into cars and drove through the school carpark past a cheering college campus.
At the end of it all, there was barely a dry eye among the parents who now face the thought of their young ones heading off to places like the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, the Whitsundays or more far-flung destinations to celebrate Schoolies 2022.
No doubt there will plenty of parents praying for safety and sanity among the revellers.
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