5 minute read
Valedictory Service 2021
This is an edited version of the speech given to the Leavers of 2021 by Headmaster Dr Paul Hicks at the Leavers’ Dinner at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Due to Covid-19 restrictions in 2021, the Dinner was held in 2022.
The last two years have been extremely challenging for everyone – and for this particular cohort, they could not have come at a worse time, affecting in a profound way your final two years of school.
After one year of lockdowns, we had all hoped at the start of last year that we could put them behind us, and the year started promisingly enough. I remember the excitement and passion of Luke and Isaac and the House Captains, and all of you, and thinking that this was a particularly impressive group and looking forward to all that you would achieve. I remember speaking to all of you at the start of the year and telling you that the year would fly past very quickly and encouraging you to make the most of every opportunity that arose.
And then the coronavirus hit us again and threw all of our plans and our good intentions out the window once more. Sport was hit hard, music ensembles could not play together in person, and you weren’t even able to mess up the common room for very long. Luckily, we snuck an amazing School Play in, but once more, and for too much of the year, you had to attend online classes and work independently at home. It would have been very understandable if you had all just retreated into your own worlds, did your study, and kept to yourselves. I know that some of you did not find it easy to keep focused and motivated and some of you really struggled. In many ways it was harder than the first time, because the lockdowns seemed poorly defined, and we were all getting weary. But as a group you did not retreat – I was really impressed by the way you kept our community alive through online communication, and made the most of every opportunity you had to be together. I know that your messages of hope and encouragement made a big difference to students right across our school.
I know that in some ways the year was a disappointing one for you – no School Formal, no Valedictory, no Schoolies (not officially in any case). But I think that as a year level you showed more leadership and resilience than many, and your example of just getting on with it in difficult times was extraordinary and I salute you for it. You refused to give in, you remained focused and on task, and your results at the end of the year were extraordinary.
I understand the feelings of disappointment but, at the same time, what extraordinary times for you to have lived through. You were put in a position in which you had no choice but to change the way you learnt, where you learnt, and even when you learnt. You had to reduce your social contact, you had to put many plans on hold. But these years will no doubt provide the source of many stories for your grandchildren as you reflect on the great pandemic of the 2020s. More importantly, you had to face disappointment, be resilient and resourceful. You had to be creative and you had to persevere. There is much to be grateful for, there is much to be proud of, and there is much to learn.
We meet here tonight for the final time as the Class of 2021, and many of you have just begun new learning journeys and a new stage of your life. Many of you have begun university studies, and your experience of university, and indeed work, is going to be very different from mine. You will no doubt study more online, listen to lectures online, and submit work online. I am glad to hear that you will have the opportunity to do some things on campus too, because the social aspect of university is as important as the academic side. But you are prepared for it all – the lessons you learnt last year will have placed you in good stead for the challenges that lie ahead. And always remember that the community you formed while you were at school will be another source of strength and support. You have been an amazing group, and even though tonight we are saying a belated farewell, I know I speak on behalf of our teachers, when I tell you we are proud of you and we wish you the very best for your futures.
To our parents, I would like to say that you should be very proud of these students. Your sons have developed into fine young men and I believe their future lies bright before them. Thank you, parents, for your support of our school and of your sons. I think together we have done a good job.
I would also like to thank the teachers – not just last year, but in all the years of their education. The teachers have played a major role in shaping the thinking and values of our students, and I think we are very lucky at Camberwell Grammar to have teachers who are so professional, dedicated, and enthusiastic. I extend a heartfelt thanks to them.
Let’s give thanks for all we have been given and good luck for the future.
