“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true.

I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.”

 

Abraham Lincoln

Winning without being humble and succeeding without integrity will not lead to greatness. St Catherine’s is a great school. But what does that really mean? We are all familiar with our school motto, ‘Nil Magnum Nisi Bonum’ (Nothing is great unless it is good). The implication being that without a person being of good character then greatness cannot be achieved.
Is St Catherine’s a ‘good’ school? Most certainly.

The 2025 school year is in full swing. Our academic program is very busy and the Year 12 students are now commencing their first SACs for 2025.  Our sports facilities are occupied in the early mornings and late in the day. We have nearly 300 students participating in Music plus there are many other opportunities for our students to engage in. Alongside our girls, of course, are our dedicated and highly skilled teachers.

Already there have been a number of highlights for me even though we are only one month into the year. Recently, we had our Leavers’ Assembly where we celebrated and acknowledged our students who were top of the class in their VCE subjects for 2024. As people will know, last year’s VCE results were the best on record.  Quite an astonishing achievement.  However, as I read out the names of the students being awarded during the assembly, it was clear to me that achievement and success by our girls is more than a set of numbers. Every girl who received a prize had a story behind their results. Most important in that story, is the relationship the girls have with their peers and their teachers. A few of the top VCE students from last year were interviewed by our Student Executive and each of them were universal in the praise of the teachers who taught, supported and nurtured them throughout the year. The goodness inherent in the relationships between teachers and students at St Catherine’s fills me with confidence that our girls are in a good place where they can be great.

Strong relationships lie at the heart of what makes St Catherine’s such a wonderful school and community. I see this every day in the school.  In February, I attended the Barbreck Leaders breakfast where the Year 6 girls were presented as leaders of the Junior School. Our Principal, Ms Natalie Charles, spoke to the girls about leadership and invited them to embrace it. Ms Charles also asked the girls to consider that when they visit Parliament House in Canberra later this year, they should all look at the portraits of our Prime Ministers which line the walls of the Great Hall and ask themselves the question “Why not me?”
A provocative question perhaps, but when you think about it, why not them?

The special guest speaker at the Barbreck breakfast was Scarlett Shelton, one of our 2024 School Co-Captains.  Scarlett reflected on her leadership and gave great advice to the Year 6 girls.  “True leadership” she said, “is what you do when no one is watching.” In other words, being a person of integrity and being true to oneself.

Whether our students are achieving great academic results, playing sport to the best of their ability, earnestly learning a music instrument or holding high aspirations for their future, our students and indeed our community, have deeply embedded values that form good character. These core values and sense of community are what make our school great.