On Tuesday 2 March, the Year 11 cohort were visited by Chadwick Models for an afternoon of social etiquette.

Designed to make people comfortable and at ease, we learned that etiquette shows that we value and respect others and gives us the confidence to deal with different situations in life. We were instructed about the customs and rules governing behaviour that is regarded as correct or acceptable in social or official life.

That evening we were given the opportunity to put what we had learned into practice by accompanying our mothers to dinner at the South of Perth Yacht Club. The weather gave us an opportunity to not only open the car door but shelter our mothers with an umbrella as we entered the venue. There we gallantly took her arm and escorted her to the table. We demonstrated our newly acquired table etiquette with everyone duly tearing their bread roll and filling glasses for our companions. We enjoyed a three-course meal - using the correct cutlery of course - and had the opportunity to catch up with our friends outside of school.

It’s not often that we are in a formal social situation with our mums where we actually spend time directly with them. A wedding is probably the closest we come. Looking around the room you could see all the mums were delighted with our attempts at gentlemanly behaviour. Admittedly, it does not take much to make your own mum proud, but it is a good feeling. On the whole, we learned that courtesy, small acts of kindness and confidence can make all the difference in social situations.

From my mum: At a time where private schoolboys are often portrayed in the news for the wrong reasons it was a pleasure to see a room full of young men eager to display their manners and caring side. I think every mother in that room was proud.