From the Principal – Term 4 Commences

Welcome to Term 4, the busiest term of the whole year. Now that we have some genuine warmer spring weather and the commencement of daylight savings, we move into a different phase of school life. 

This week marks the last full week of school for our Year 12 students. As of today, they now have five days of school left. No doubt they are feeling a little nervous and excited at the same time about the weeks ahead and then they commence their lives beyond the Heyington Gates. 

During the last week of the holidays the senior students undertook trial VCE exams in a prelude to what takes place in a couple of weeks. The students are now revising their subjects, doing practice exams and questions, consulting with their VCE teachers and generally making preparations for their final weeks of school life. 

At this week’s School Assembly on Monday, when the Year 12 students had 10 days of school left, I offered 10 suggestions about how they might navigate the next few weeks leading into and during the exams. 

The 10 things I asked them to do were: 

  1. Make the most of every minute. Don’t waste a minute. Once they are gone, they are gone. 
  2. Stay healthy. Eat well, sleep well, and do all those things which make you feel better. 
  3. Have a clear vision. Know what you want to do and how you are going to achieve it. 
  4. Do the work. Great things can happen after great effort. 
  5. Stay strong. Never, never, never, never give up. The sun always comes up the next day. 
  6. Connect with nature. Nature gives you oxygen and peace. 
  7. Find time to be quiet. Give yourself space and time to be you. Get rid of the distractions. 
  8. Be active every day. It’s good for you and helps you think better. 
  9. Have some fun. Laughing makes you feel great. 
  10. Be kind to yourself and others. It’s just nice to be kind and a good thing to do.

Next week will be a very special week for School. We have the Valedictory Dinner on Tuesday night, and on Thursday is the last day of school for Year 12 when we will say farewell to them through the Heyington Gates for the last time. 

The end of school is a memorable time and during the week I had the opportunity to hear some stories from a notable past student. At an afternoon tea on Tuesday, we celebrated the 100th birthday of Mrs Pamela Warrender OAM (Myer ’42) our oldest living St Catherine’s past student.  

In attendance were other notable SCOGA Old Girls including Lady Southey (Myer ’45), Ms Lindy Shelmerdine (’80) and Ms Kate Baillieu (’62). Also attending the birthday party were our School Co-Captains Scarlett Shelton and Alice Molnar and our youngest Barbreck student Indy Edmondson. It was wonderful listening to Pamela as she shared stories of her time as a student including sneaking out of School and going to friends’ houses around the corner. She was funny, sharp as a tack and an absolute delight. 

This special afternoon tea birthday celebration for Pamela was a reminder to me of the strength of our community. The greatest strength of our School is the people in it. We share so much together, the good and sometimes the very challenging. It’s all part of living a full life. When I was at Pamela’s birthday celebration, I was wondering about our Class of 2024 and who in that group might live to 100 and possibly come back for a birthday celebration of their own. I suspect they will find a school much like it is today. Driven by a strong set of values and community. The Year 12 students in the future will probably not be doing a VCE but they will be experiencing something we might be familiar with. 

I wish everyone a great term 4. 

Mr Robert Marshall, Interim Principal