St Catherine’s School
Speech Day 2021
School Captains’ Address

This time last year, Cece and I delivered our first speeches as School Co-Captains to the Class of 2020, where the rest of you watched on a screen from your Form Rooms. In these speeches we acknowledged the strength and resilience of that cohort and we were truly in awe of how they carried themselves throughout such a treacherous, and unprecedented year of COVID and online learning.

Yet, here we are, a year later, and we reflect on a year that really doesn’t seem much different from last. But I do believe it would be inadequate to speak about this year as if it were the same as 2020, as this year has come with its very own unique challenges that we have all had to endure. Where we have had to persevere and truly draw upon the St Catherine’s spirit to get through.

However, I think that it is the disappointment and sense of loss we have felt over the past two years that makes this moment so special. The moment where our entire School – teachers and students alike, are sitting in our Hall as one. One group of strong individuals who have survived and conquered over these past two years.

Whilst COVID tried its hardest to shut us down, and keep us physically distanced, the strength of a global pandemic just doesn’t stand a chance against the St Catherine’s spirit. We are strong in kindness, in empathy and in warmth. And I believe all of our successes this year could not have been achieved without this sustaining force.

But what makes us empathetic, kind and warm? It is our persistent ability to show up and support one another. It is our continuous effort to get involved. And it is our unwavering generosity.

This year we have all demonstrated this support more than ever in small and big moments.

Whether you went down to support our athletes in Rowing or Football, by cheering along on the sidelines. Whether it was going to online class 1a 1b when it would have been easier to stay in bed.

Whether it was simply doing the dares and House challenges presented to you by the Year 12 Cohort that made us feel connected to everyone. Or whether it was turning your microphone on to sing happy birthday to your friend on Teams.

Every single action of support this year has helped everyone endure.

Especially to the Year 12 Cohort, every individual action has helped the entire team finish this marathon of what we call VCE.

Whether it be reassuring one another in the Common Room that we are all behind in work. Wishing each other good luck for SACS. Constantly posting polls on the Facebook page to decide on themes for events that may or may not happen. Or simply just playing some music in the Common Room to boost the spirits.

Overall, it has been the strength of our Cohort to band together in the good times and the bad. Standing with each other as lockdowns are announced, and running together to celebrate the end of our schooling. We truly are a team who have worked together and carried each other through.

Throughout the past two years, the generosity of our teachers has really shone. Throughout Learn@Home, all of our teachers have truly been forced to merge their school and personal lives together, as we impose on their homes through a screen.

To say we are incredibly grateful for your support and warmth throughout such a tough year would be a gross understatement. You have made yourselves available every hour of the day for us, whether that be responding to our emails at 10:00pm at night, or calling us on Teams on the weekend to help us with content. Everything you have done has not been overlooked and especially from the Year 12 Cohort, we say thank you.

And of course our School spirit is not isolated to those who walk through the Gates daily. It is also radiated and upheld at home through our families. All of our families have watched on for two years of online learning, and undoubtedly have empathy for us.

For me, I know that my family’s constant support and presence is what helped me through. Although they were reluctant at times, they would always sit down and listen to me recite countless speeches, and listen to me ramble the entirety of all of my subjects’ content enthusiastically, to the point where I’m sure all of them could sit my exams and write out exactly what I had preached – from the Ottawa Charter Action Areas in Health, to the definition of sovereignty in global.

Thank you for supporting my every endeavour throughout my entire schooling. For driving me to Tennis and Choir in Year 7, or picking me up from Debating after School when I could have just walked home. And even in these last two weeks, now that exams are over, thank you for constantly trying to help me find clarity in my jumping thoughts of what I’m going to do next year, thank you for embracing my stresses. Thank you for facilitating my last minute enthusiasm, including making my cut up School dress until 11.00pm the night before I needed it. But most of all, thank you for giving me the greatest gift I could ever ask for, and that is sending me to St Catherine’s. Where we can all agree I have truly made the best friends for life, have had the most extraordinary teachers, and have been given the platform to feel comfortable in myself and pursue whatever my heart desires. Thank you

And finally to the person who embodies the St Catherine’s spirit the most, my partner in crime, Cece. Cece you were the first person I sat next to on my first day of Year 7, and whilst we didn’t say much, your simple “hi” really did stick with me and immediately made my first day a lot less daunting.

Whilst a simple hello doesn’t seem like a lot, it really does reflect Cece’s inclusive nature and how she is genuinely one of the most kind people you will ever come across. Cece you are smart, kind and funny, and everyone in Year 12 and this School would undoubtedly agree with me in saying that we all wish we were a bit more like you.

This year I have truly enjoyed writing speeches last minute with you on FaceTime, and always going for the default combined speech. You keep me organised and on track, always reminding me where we need to be and what I need to get done. But not only have I enjoyed being Co-Captain with you this year, I have loved being your friend for the past six. You will always be one of my best friends and it feels fitting that on my last day of school today, I sit next to you, truly completing my journey here.

So overall, at St Catherine’s we are a family. A family of Year 12 girls who have each other’s backs, no matter what. We are a family of individuals, from ELC to staff, who would do anything to help each other out. And we are one huge community that can never be broken.

Whether you are receiving an Award or celebrating the end of the academic year, we all have something to be proud of. We have all been daring and caring in our actions this year. What we have achieved is not a single effort, it is a testament to the strength of our School and the support and warmth that it radiates within it.

So, thank you St Catherine’s, thank you for everything.

Lucy Campbell
2021 School Co-Captain
St Catherine’s School

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It is great to be back and speaking to you for my last time. As it is my last speech to you and the last time the Year 12s will be in this Hall with you, I wanted to do something special with them.

So, Year 12s, throughout my speech we will be playing ‘never have I ever’, so using one hand, please put a finger down accordingly and I will check back in on the game at the end of my speech.

But before that, I would just like to say how glad I am that Lucy and I were able to provide a last address to you all in person, and say thank you to everyone involved with making that possible.

So, to start off, Year 12s, put a finger down if you have ever competed in a GSV sport against another school.

This experience is something I wanted to touch on because Sport at St Catherine’s has been a pivotal part of my school life and development.

Whether it’s the long Tennis games in the sun, or cold winter mornings for Hockey, every sport at St Catherine’s has impacted me for the better. Most notably, Rowing from Years 8 to 12, has taught me the value of commitment and the strength of comradery. It definitely wasn’t any medal at a regatta that led to this, it was the hours training and the off-the-water relationships with each of the girls. My favourite memory from my season this year was when my crew, The Scott, rowed up to the 500m final at Nationals and we had two Loreto crews either side of us. As we started our usual ruckus of “yeah Scotts,” the two other crews began calling out “yeah Loreto,” and it was quite funny because we all had a shared wavelength where we thought, “no way, let’s make more noise than them,” and we all cheered more, and tapped the boat, which quietened down the other crews.

Not only was it the unity of The Scott that stuck with me, it was the way, within 30 seconds of our ruckus, we were all ready to race, and we raced as one. Here at St Catherine’s we have all endured devastating losses and victorious wins in Sport, but the great thing is that, no matter the result, we always come out the other side better off, having learned something. This is testament to the network of support we have, of our parents watching our games, or the other girls cheering us on. Sport at St Catherine’s is unlike any other school, and because of this I am so happy that I was able to experience it in my time here.

Okay, next up, put a finger down if you have ever been white water rafting on camp.

The camps at St Catherine’s are unmatched – to me, every camp has been a chance to become friends with girls you wouldn’t necessarily be friends with beforehand. There’s something about making your own food and doing it rough that forges new relationships, or maybe it’s the near-death experiences that bind us all. I still vividly remember dramatically leaning out of my raft, extending my paddle to my partner who had fallen into the river, like it was a life or death situation. And how one of us fell onto our cooking fire in her wetsuit and another got a leech in her eye (both are completely fine by the way). But I bring these up to remind you that it’s not the long hikes that you remember, camps are not there as a strictly physical exercise, it’s the memories with old and new friends that stay with you.

The most amazing thing about camps is that every time you return, your cohort becomes more unified as one, and for my class, we felt that most after Fiji in Year 9. Camps are so underrated and I wish I could go on another one now. So enjoy any that you have coming up and make the most of every activity there.

Okay, put a finger down if you have ever been nervous on stage.

Yeah, I was about five minutes ago, but the great thing is that here, St Catherine’s both enables and supports stage fright. We are given so many opportunities to feel nervous, whether that’s Debating, Public Speaking, performing in a musical or a play, or simply performing in Drama class.

Whether you like it or not, you always learn something from nerves. When I was in Year 8, I was at the Gala Concert in the orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and it sounded amazing, but I was so nervous that I was going to make a mistake and somehow the audience would be able to deduce that it was my violin that had played the wrong note among all the instruments. So, as later pointed out by my sister who sat at the back of the Hall and could see me, I was air playing, just moving my bow up and down, hovering above the strings. Afterwards, I came to the obvious realisation that I perhaps hadn’t done enough violin practice. But more importantly, I didn’t get in trouble or scolded for not playing and that is what was so special, that when we are given these opportunities to feel nervous in front of a lot of people, whether you are amazing or completely flop, there are no consequences. Here we are given the opportunity to fail and consequently the opportunity to grow, which is something that should not be shied away from.

Alright, put a finger down if you have ever had a teacher go out of their way for you.

This one is one of the defining factors of St Catherine’s. We undeniably have the best teachers ever. Not only have they been resilient and inspiring over the past couple of years, but it’s the little things they do that really amaze me.

Offering to Teams call on the weekend or during their holidays, and always going the extra mile to make sure we understand concepts, are just a couple of examples of how your support has been invaluable to us.

A couple of examples are, one day I was feeling a bit down and Ms Cortez brought me chocolates to cheer me up, or Ms Gunn motivating our Year 7 Water Polo Team with Haigh’s, and of course Mrs Matt giving us chocolates and biscuits after our SACs. And yes, the instances I remembered all centred around chocolate, but it’s what the chocolate represents rather than the actual food, it’s the encouragement and support. I know I am definitely not alone when I explain how the teachers go above and beyond for us, and they are the backbone of St Catherine’s, so I would like to extend a thank you to all the teachers for your never-ending support.

Finally, put a finger down if you were part of the best cohort ever (girls you should all be putting down a finger).

I would like to give a shout out to the Class of 2021, this year, even with all of the ups and downs, has still been my favourite year with you yet. The chats in the toastie lines at lunch or spares, where we took a well-earned break and had a chat – I will never forget. I am so proud of each and every one of you. I am proud to say that I was a part of this Cohort, so thank you for a wonderful year.

And while we are here, could you all please hold up your hand with how many fingers you have left so everyone can see…not only was this game a snippet of our time here, but this is what is to come for you all in the coming years. It is what we are celebrating today, the sporting, creative and academic achievements and the diverse range of opportunities open to you at St Catherine’s.

I thoroughly encourage you all to take advantage of these opportunities. I know it is said every year, but time really does fly. You only get to do school once, and so I implore you to get involved and dare to take up all of these opportunities.

Before I leave, I would like to say thank you to my Co-Captain, Lucy. Thank you Luce, for being my partner on this journey, although maybe I didn’t appreciate them in the moment, the Sunday night FaceTime calls, where we would smash out a speech and the way you had me fix your collar every single time we would go on stage, is special to me. I am continually inspired by you, your tenacity and, although you won’t admit it, your pursuit of perfection. It has been a blessing to experience this ride with a close friend, so thank you for all we have done together this year, I have enjoyed every moment of it.

And to my family. My siblings, Gretel and James, thank you for your undivided support this whole year, your guidance this year has been invaluable, and thanks for picking up the slack by doing my share of the dishes. And Mum and Dad, I genuinely don’t think I could have more loving, generous and dedicated parents. You have been on this roller coaster with me for 18 years and I would like to say a huge thank you, especially for this year.

I am so lucky to have such a great family who have cared for me so persistently and kept me on the right track all the way to the end, I love you all very much.

Finally, thank you to all of you, it has been such an honour and privilege being one of your School Captains this year.

Thanks and bye.

Clementine (Cece) Newton-Brown
School Co-Captain
St Catherine’s School