Young Citizens, Big Ideas

When Year 5 students Pippa and Jessica were invited to speak at a North Sydney Council citizenship ceremony, they delivered thoughtful explorations of what it means to be a citizen to an assembly of newly minted Australians, their families, the Mayor, and Councillors.

Pippa developed a metaphor about community as a forest, where the nutrients of each tree's place of origin remain despite new locations, with interconnecting roots and vast canopies forming within different ecosystems. It was an image that drew warm praise from North Sydney Mayor Zoë Baker, who spoke about the students' potential to help shape the community's collective future and the sophistication and creativity of their addresses.

Jessica, who received her own Australian citizenship certificate last year, drew on personal experience to reflect on what it means to belong. "I moved here when I was nine months old and I only got my citizenship last year, when I was nine years old," she told the audience. "Getting my citizenship got me thinking about how I could be a good citizen."

She went on to share her gratitude for the freedoms she values: riding her bike to a friend's house, catching a bus to school, stopping to greet neighbours while walking the dog. These were things, she acknowledged, that would not have been possible in her country of birth. "I try to never take these freedoms for granted," she said.

She also shared her ambition to swim for the Australian Olympic team. "I can see myself in green and gold standing on a podium one day," she said, "and I have all the rights and opportunity to do it, and nobody will stop me".

Both students spoke of the responsibility that comes with citizenship. Jessica reflected on how meaningful kindness through small acts such as picking up litter from the beach or organising a bake sale, builds community. "Whether you were born in Australia or have immigrated to the country like me, all these tiny acts add up to make us a huge community of outstanding Australian citizens," she said.

Head of Junior School, Ms Justine Lind, noted that while both performances were inspiring, they were not surprising. "They reflected the values and philosophies the girls have been immersed in at home and since joining Wenona," she said.

Photographs supplied by North Sydney Council.