This week we celebrated Speech Night, and had an amazing night filled with beautiful music and recognition of student achievement. Thank you to all staff that made this night such a memorable evening. I’d particularly like to thank our Head of Performance Brad King, and our conductors Regina Brennan, Jonny Ng and Dr Camille Syntageros.
Our school captains Grace Marchant and Imogen Simpson delivered a wonderful speech, and I am pleased that they have allowed me to share their speech with you this week.
Imagine planting a seed in the ground, tending to it day after day. You water it, you give it sunlight, and you nurture it with care. But nothing seems to happen. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and still, no sign of growth. A year passes – then two, three, and four – but the soil remains unchanged.
Most people would lose hope. They’d question their efforts and maybe even give up altogether. Because for five years, a bamboo tree shows no visible signs of growth. Yet, beneath the surface, it’s establishing a network of roots, preparing for something extraordinary.
And then, in the fifth year, the bamboo tree grows 90 feet in the air in just six weeks. We would like to pose you all a question – did the tree grow in those six weeks or was it building its strength all along? As we come to the end of our time at 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s, upon reflection we believe this allegory encapsulates our shared growth as a community.
At 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s our foundational soil was set long ago in 1895. Recognising the importance of women’s education, the sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent planted the seed of 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s with the hope of it growing into a flourishing school for young women. The sisters paved the way with their educational philosophy to educate ‘the whole personality.. so that girls may live to their fullest capacity’.
Although when first establishing the school, the sisters may not have seen rapid growth, with just 47 students enrolled over the first 15 years since opening, they did not give up. Without their perseverance, now in 2024 our current students would not have the opportunity to experience 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s.
With this rich history in mind, we can see how every aspect of 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s has been carefully nurtured over the years, shaping not just a school, but thriving individuals and a tightknit community. Each generation of students, like the bamboo tree, has had the opportunity to grow and develop within their own individual perceptions of success, whether this was seen or not, supported by a foundation of unwavering values and dedicated guidance from members of our community.
Today, as we reflect on our time at 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s, it’s clear that the school's growth mirrors our own personal journeys. The lessons learned, the challenges overcome, and the successes celebrated all contribute to the broader legacy of our school.
This year, when brainstorming the theme for the 2024 cohort, we recognised two values which resonated most strongly with us were spirit and persistence. As such, the prefect group settled on the theme ‘strive to roar in 2024’.
This theme guided our pursuits as a leading body, and we were so proud of the way every member of the community embraced a united goal. 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s is not just a place of learning; it is a space where each student is wholly prepared for the future through the many academic, sporting, musical, philanthropic and cultural opportunities we are afforded, ensuring everybody possesses a sense of purpose.
One thing which all of these opportunities would go to waste without is the aspiration to strive. This year we highlighted the importance of an individual goal, just as much as a communal goal, as striving will look different for everyone. There are moments when we may feel like our hard work is unapparent, but we must remember a crucial truth: growth is happening even when it is not visible. It’s easy to get discouraged when we don’t see immediate results, but just like the bamboo, true growth happens beneath the surface, out of sight.
For the graduating cohort of 2024 this week marks the final week of school for our year 12. We know this year may have felt like a constant test of patience and perseverance but the last 5 years we have worked to thrive – every late night, every effort and every challenge has contributed to our growth and laid the foundation for our future success.
On behalf of our cohort, we know that this would not have been possible without the endless support of our community. Firstly, we would like to thank the staff for their constant encouragement and patience, you have been integral to our success this year.
To our parents and families, thank you - we couldn’t have done it without you. Your unconditional love and unwavering commitment to our growth does not go unnoticed. Each and every member of our community has played a vital role in shaping us, and we are so grateful to have attended such an incredible school.
To conclude our speech, we would like to return to the question we posed at the beginning: ‘did the tree grow in those six weeks or was it building its strength all along?’
Although it may seem counterintuitive, the answer is both. If we were to think about this statement factually, yes, the tree does grow in just six weeks. However, the growth that we witness is only possible due to the culmination of years of unseen preparation, a reminder to us that success requires patience, persistence and an unwavering belief in ourselves and one another.
To the younger cohorts, we could not encourage you enough to embrace the opportunities 168¿ª½±¹ÙÍø’s has to offer and make the most of your schooling experience. It is not about being the smartest, the most athletic, or the most talented, but rather challenging your own potential and breaking the boundaries of your comfort zone. When we look at the class of 2024, we see powerful, successful and motivated young women ready to take on the next chapter in our lives. Just as the bamboo tree’s growth is a testament to unseen preparation, our achievements to come are the result of years of careful cultivation. To the class of 2024, we are so grateful to have grown up with you over the past 6 years and we cannot wait to see the successes which are to come for each and every one of you.
In times of doubt or challenge, remember the bamboo. Remember that growth is not always visible, but it is happening. Trust in the process, and trust in yourselves. Just as the bamboo reaches for the sky after years of preparation, so too will we rise.
Thank you and Per Volar Sunata.