Last weekend we enjoyed the Year 11 and Year 12 Formals. Both occasions were splendid evenings with our students shining brightly in their resplendent outfits. The nights were stunning examples of the strength of our community and the friendships between the girls, which are so important to them. Parents were also in attendance at the Year 12 Formal and, dare I say, I think they enjoyed the evening as much, if not more, than their daughters.

Having the parents in the room with the Year 12 girls reinforced for me how important family connections are. Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 8, and it will be a time where families everywhere gather to celebrate how much we all love our Mums!

Paul Kelly, the celebrated Australian singer/songwriter pays homage to his mother in the song Every Day My Mother’s Voice. Yes, being a fan of Paul Kelly does align me with a particular generation! Two stanzas in the song resonate in a powerful way for me:

Every day my mother’s voice
Talks to me
Every day I make my choice
What to do and how to be

Every day I build my life
On her sacrifice
Every day I face my strife
But I know where to go for advice

Many roads I could have gone down
Many, many ways to disappear
Every day I hear the sound
Of her voice right by my ear
So clear, so clear

My mother passed away a few years ago at the beautiful age of 93. I still think of her every day.  Apart from the unconditional love you always receive from your mother, my Mum was someone who always gave wise advice, no matter what the situation was.

Mum went to University during the war years of the 1940s. This was a time when it was not the usual thing for a young woman to do. Mum was told at school she should pursue a career as a secretary or maybe become a nurse, then she should get married and have children. It was her prospective husband who should provide for her.  Mum had other plans.

Being a state hockey player, and also a dancer in the Victorian Ballet, she opted to study Physical Education at Melbourne University. Mum was one of only two girls in the course and her motto from the outset was “don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do!” Throughout our lives, there are always some people it seems, who like telling us what we can and cannot do.

Mum’s advice to pursue my dreams and chosen pathway reflect the choices she made in her own life. Mum always followed her own voice and every time I have had a difficult choice to make, I can hear her saying to me, “don’t let others decide for you, they can’t tell you what you can’t do!”  Paul Kelly’s words, “Every day I hear the sound, Of her voice right by my ear, So clear, so clear.”

Last weekend at both School Formals, I saw our girls at their best. Their smiles were radiant, their mood was buoyant and their optimism for life was captivating. Our students demonstrate what it means to be proud young women who can take on the world in whatever way they choose to do. No one is going to tell them what they can’t do.

One of the elements of our Towards 2025 Strategic Plan is Intent Five, We Embrace Our Community.  This Intent emphasises the importance of engagement, involvement, and connection. By any criteria, these two wonderful evenings certainly encapsulate these characteristics.

St Catherine’s is a community defined by the strength of our relationships, and the kindness and mutual respect for all. This ensures our girls thrive in the experiences available to them. Iconic events such as the Formals are part of the rich tapestry of life at our wonderful school.

In essence, we are a large family which we can all be grateful to be a part of. We need to be grateful for our families, and most importantly our mums. This Sunday, make sure you let your Mum know how grateful you are for all that she has done and continues to do for you and your family.