Ainsley Benbow “The world does not need an artificial intelligence that diminishes humanity. Rather it needs human intelligence enlightened by wisdom, political authority guided by conscience and technological innovation directed by charity. Only then will artificial intelligence become not a rival to humanity but a servant of the common good. Yet every technological achievement also confronts humanity with a moral question, not merely what can we do, but what ought we to do?

By The Mary Word

By Kenzie Eyles “It is my first day of high school ever, and I need to turn things around.” At eleven, I thought high school was a movie waiting to happen. I thought there would be a defining moment. A montage. A makeover. A dramatic walk through the gates where suddenly I became someone else. Someone cooler. Someone louder. Someone worth remembering. But I didn’t become that. Not the school captain. Not the dux. Not the girl with 10 thousand followers or a parking spot with

Drawn By Indigo Gazecki

Kenzie Eyles As my Normo journey comes to an end, so does my work in The Mary Word. I’ve been an on and off member since 2021 and have written so many articles I’ve lost track. In here I will include my first ever article and some articles that marked moments in my Loreto journey. I still remember the days where The Mary Word was in the Curran, then Level 2 GBC and now we all find comfort in the 70s rooms. I am going to break each rating into 3 categories all out of 10 with a

By Anna Davidson With the graduation of the Class of 2026, you may find yourself questioning your own pathway after Loreto. Why not draw inspiration from our very own school musical, Legally Blonde? Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the iconic 2001 film ‘Legally Blonde,’ soon to be performed on the Loreto stage, here’s a summary: The movie follows sorority girl Elle Woods, who’s dumped by her boyfriend due to her “lack of seriousness,” as Elle places a high value on her app

By Clara Ding Amidst all the turmoil of homework, scramble of studying for numerous assessments, and relentless pressure to excel, academic life can often feel overwhelming; sparse of creativity, connection to peers and developing an amalgamation of vital skills. Extracurriculars have the ability to transform the linearity of an academic routine into a multifaceted school life experience fostering individualism, connection to peers in other years and most substantially, the

By Kiera Short I would like to preface this by saying this takes place in a highly ideal world where I have the money and ability to travel to this many countries in a year. I have always wanted to travel to numerous countries - all for different reasons - but mainly to see the world. I don’t want to go through my life without the opportunity to travel, and so far I haven’t been granted the opportunity. So, I have made this as a list of my dream travel destinations if I was g

By Sabrina Whenman By Sabrina Whenman As you all know, Year 9 just went on their immersion to Far North Queensland. This is a collection of the sketches that I drew from life during the two weeks. I apologise for any issues with image quality and lighting; taking photos of graphite drawings is surprisingly difficult. The Daintree Rainforest Daintree Discovery Centre 1/2 Including: Trees with vines, The Creek, King Fern, Snail, Mangrove roots (stilt, buttress, pencil), Bug, Ep

By Joanna Cowan Do what your teacher says! I used to always lose marks because I wanted to do my assignments the way I wanted. I would argue with the marking criteria and try to pick the most obscure angle I could. However, in year 12 you must just do what the teacher says and pick the simplest angle in order to achieve well. So if you wish to get those top bands, unfortunately you must relinquish your pride. Hacking the question This is particularly for biology students but

By Liliana Cannizzaro The Mary Word has grown in size over the years, and gained many different types of people. This begs an important question; “Which subjects do The Mary Word students enjoy the most?”. To answer this, a survey was conducted to record the student body’s favourite subjects. This will show the current newspaper's opinions on our school subjects, and maybe give the school a few hints as to which departments to increase funds for! (Just kidding). This article

By Brigid Delaney, Josie Ngai, Olivia Fang, and Jenifer Xie Scroll to see the answers: Across Down 1 Goodbye 5 University 6 Chapter 7 Learning 1 Graduation 2 Love 3 HSC 4 Star 8 ATAR Link: https://crosswordlabs.com/view/year-12-graduation-crossword

By Thea Boyd Hey girls! Are you ready for the best part of Loreto Day… the Loreto Day Concert?! It’s at the end of the big day, before we all get to go home! The Loreto Day Concert is all about lollies. Year 11’s will walk around during the concert and hand out extra lollies and other things left over from the stalls during the day. These can include: lolly bags, popcorn, soft drinks, and sweet treats from other stalls. They usually cost $1-5, depending on the stall it comes

By Charlie King and Kimaya Mahindra

By Aanya Ahsanullah and Monique Travers Aanya Ahsanullah – Ecology Captain 2025/2026 Loreto’s Ecology Life At Normo, I am proud to say that Ecology is not only in the initiatives that we run, but in our daily lives. Every second Monday, JPIC hosts an ecology-focused session, involving presentations, interactive activities, and discussions. We are also proud to celebrate Laudato Si’ Week, Clean Up Australia Day and various other events to raise awareness, promote student voice

By Madeleine Candy and Rose Nguyen Ward Donuts 🍩 Drinks 🥤 Kuring-gai Loaded Popcorn 🍿 Carnival games🤡 Mornane Pizza🍕 Face Painting 🎨 Kendall Loaded croissants 🥐 Maye Lemonade🥤🍋 Haunted House👻 Barry Chips🍟 Disco🪩 Aston Donuts on a string🍩 Mixed lolly bags🍬 Mulhall Loaded Brownies Trivia 🎊 Thank you for reading, and we hope you have a fantastic Loreto Day!

By Loreto Day 2026 Group, Class of 2027 In communities across West Bengal, India, the Survivor Leadership Program provides more than just immediate support for women affected by human trafficking and violence; it creates pathways toward empowerment, independence, and long-term social change. Supported by Mary Ward International Australia in partnership with the Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre, the Survivor Leadership Program is dedicated to supporting women who have experienc

By Myra Vasudev No one knows how music started. Maybe it started as a soft whisper in the wind. A rock tapping on wood. Wooden sticks clanging together. The first grunts of language. Truly, we’ll never know. But there’s one thing we know for sure. We all connect to it, one way or another. From bubblegum pop lyrics to classical instrumental pieces, music is revolutionary - It brings people together through soul and heart. Since the beginning of time, there has been music. H

By Joanna Cowan Movie scores are crucial to movies, they work beneath conscious awareness, steering your emotional responses in the direction the director intends, building the tension and revealing to you a character's true motive. When I was younger I used to predict what was going to happen next in a movie just by the shift in music. So here is a playlist made of my top ranked movie scores: note that this is focusing not on any jukebox scores but scores written for the mo

By Shriyaa Madan Gopal The Berklee College of Music is an incredibly prestigious music school known for its alumni, including Charlie Puth and Lauv, and for the 300 Grammys they have won. Berklee is renowned for its contemporary approach to music and diverse programs. This summer, I came across an opportunity to audit Berklee’s free music theory course on EDX. So, is one of the top music institutes’ courses actually worth it? It’s a six-week course made up of YouTube videos p

By Clara Ding, Hannah Hippmann and Heidi Rong

By Emily Taylor, Alyssa Maggio, Eloise Hartshorn and Jennifer Loughman 2012 - Ward Africa by Toto 2013 - Ward Mr Blue Sky 2014 - Kuring-Gai Adiemus 2015 - Mornane I Wanna Hold Your Hand 2016 - Aston Unwritten 2017 - Maye Tenterfield Saddler 2018 - Barry Big Yellow Taxi 2019 - Barry Karma Chameleon 2020 - Mornane (People’s Choice Award) 2021 - Mornane Warriors 2022 - Kendall Freedom 2023 - Maye Que Sera 2024 - Maye Man In The Mirror 2025 - Maye Don’t Dream I

Mia Basic I feel everything is so ordered and structured. Even as a kid we would do creative writing tasks but if it wasn’t ’structured right’ it was incorrect. Creativity is taken away without realising it and it feels as we get older there is this plug in us that says if I can’t play an instrument or draw or write then I’m not creative and it stops our flow even starting. And I suppose that’s where the power of music comes in, because for me it puts a plug on order and stru

By Thea Boyd Are you looking for some songs to add to your New Year’s playlist? I got you! Here are 10 absolutely FAB songs to add to your favourite playlists. Flowers by Miley Cyrus. (Very upbeat and gets you in the mood!) Calm Down (remix) by Rema & Selena Gomez. (Rhythmic and good for crowds) Midnight City by M83. (Dreamy, perfect for New Year’s!) Sunroof by Nicky Youre & dazy. (Summery vibes and bright feels) Heat Waves by Glass Animals. (Very chill, good for late nig

By Nicole Irwanto and Elizabeth Bizannes With the heat going up to 45 degrees, heavy meals don’t stand a chance. Summer snacks are all about keeping cool, refreshing, and the right amount of everything! To make the PERFECT summer snack you need to fill three checkboxes: easy to make, packed with fresh, summer flavors, and will leave you feeling glowing inside and out! Fresh fruit is the go-to when it comes to making summer snacks. Watermelon, grapes, mangoes, strawberries-

By Ava Hallinan (School Vice-Captain) and Mia Khoudair (School Captain) At first glance, Felicity seems simple. It is often understood as happiness or joy. Yet as the year of Felicity has unfolded, it has become clear that this definition is incomplete. Felicity is a state of being, an inner peace that manifests within. Steady, grounding, and enduring. It is not dependent on external circumstances or fleeting moments of success, but instead grows from a disposition of the hea

By Rose Cunningham Welcome to Year 12! If you’re reading this, you’re standing at the edge of the most intense, challenging and rewarding...

By The Mary Word team

By Sophie Chiha and Anwen Morgan Graduation is an amazing experience that every Loreto girl gets to go through. It is a significant way...

By Mackenzie Eyles, Ainsley Benbow, Joanna Cowan, Ava Carroll and Hannah Kent Do a drive-through at Maccas #Pdriverontheloose Eat...

By Chloe Cheng Hello! We are all here today to celebrate 10 years of The Mary Word, which is the student newspaper of Loreto Normanhurst....

By Katia Hales

By Julia Scarfe, Lili Cannizzaro, Zoe Macedone and Sophie Zucconi

By Ainsley Benbow, Ava Carroll, Joanna Cowan, and Mackenzie Eyles Aston Activity: Carnival Games Donut on a string Pin the tail Face...

By Rosemary O'Brien, Ava Martin and Elisa Jeong

By Charlotte Barnett and Joanna Cowan

By Joanna Cowan and Charlotte Barnett

By Zoe Macedone and Sophie Zucconi In this article we discuss the musical journey of Loreto’s most prominent band, The Norm! We’ll be...

By Stephanie Ma and Shriyaa Madan Gopal From the tumultuous tales of history and religion, to transporting us to a “whole new world” with...

By Charlotte Barnett As a new school year begins, it is time to sign up for extracurricular activities! High school isn’t just about...

By Joanna Cowan At Loreto, we are very lucky to have access to full sized lockers for our belongings… But which is the best locker...

By Ava Martin, Elisa Jeong, Rosemary O'Brien and Lauren Evans

By Ainsley Benbow George R.R. Martin famously once wrote, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives...

By Camila De La Cruz - Graduating Editor of 2024 I’ve been brainstorming this article for years. I tend to brainstorm things that are...

By Brooke Kilmurray, Elizabeth Eade, and Elizabeth Ie As our time at Loreto draws to a close, we thought what better way to submit a...

By Camila De La Cruz In honour of the end of five years of writing articles (or editing videos), I wanted to look back on the many things...

By Sophia Zammit (Disclaimer: these are all just my opinions, because I’m still just a Year 6 student and not completely sure what high...

By Elisa Jeong, Ava Martin and Rosemary O'Brien

By Rosemary O'Brien, Elisa Jeong and Ava Martin