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VALE
St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School also extends its condolences to the families of the following Old Girls who passed away recently:
CYNTHIA RITSON (LEAKE ’39) GRACE TRURAN (DUNWELL ’55) GILLIAN MCKERRACHER (ALLBERRY ‘61) DR SUE CRUTHERS (‘75) MADDY TOOHEY (‘14)
MR VAN PANOTIDIS
24 DECEMBER 1924 – 10 MAY 2022
Mr Van Panotidis was a volunteer champion at St Mary’s for many years. He embraced our community and was involved with everything from organising fairs to strategic planning. Van was a member of the Parents’ Society from 1988 – 1992 and President in 1990. That year he was also on the Board of Management of the Foundation, which led to his membership of the Board of Governors from 1991 – 2000. He was influential on the Grounds Committee from 1988 – 1997 but showed his true strength when he joined the Forward Planning Committee from 1991 – 1992 and the Marketing and Strategic Planning Committee from 1991 – 1999, being Chair of that committee from 1998 – 1999. Van and his wife Jan were also financial donors to the School. Their daughter Dr Nikki Panotidis is a current member of our Board of Governors, and we pass on our sincere condolences to her and her family.
SALLY EMMA HICKS – 2021 HEAD GIRL
24 NOVEMBER 2003 – 14 MARCH 2022
The Chapel of St Mary is a place that has provided great comfort to many members of the St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School community since its construction in 1981; hence it was fitting that our Class of 2021 gathered there on Friday 25 March 2022 for a Service of Thanksgiving to honour our beloved 2021 Head Girl, Sally Hicks, and pay tribute to her tremendous contribution to St Mary’s. The relationship between a Principal and Head Girl is both unique and special. Sally was my third Head Girl at St Mary’s, and I will never forget her excitement at being named Head Girl for our Centenary year. Throughout her six years at St Mary's, Sally embodied the true spirit of a St Mary’s student. Kindness, warmth and generosity of spirit came so naturally to her, and this authenticity filtered through to everything that she did. Sally was respectful but never too serious, and she loved to have fun, flashing that infectious smile that we all came to love so dearly. A talented student, Sally was awarded a scholarship on entry to Year 7, and she received numerous academic awards each year at St Mary’s. In her final year, Sally received Aspire Awards in Semesters 1 and 2, a mid-year Academic Award, the Human Biology ATAR - Western Australian Journal of Medicine Runner-up Prize, and a Principal’s Prize for All Round Contribution to the School; the latter two were presented to her parents, Sonia and Steve, at our 2021 Speech Night and Centenary Celebration. Sally was also awarded an ATAR of 99.2 and a Certificate of Distinction by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA). Outside the classroom, Sally made the most of every opportunity before her; she was an enthusiastic participant in sport, the arts, St Mary’s annual Creative and Performing Arts Festival (CAPAF), scuba diving, community service and leadership activities. Sally always participated for the right reasons, not merely because she felt she had to. She represented the School in Independent Girls’ School Sports Association (IGSSA) sport, namely basketball, netball, soccer, athletics, and volleyball in every single term, receiving many sporting awards along the way.
A proud Wittenoom girl, Sally even participated in Interhouse Dance, although, by her own admission, dance was not her forte. She just loved contributing to her House in every way possible, with the Interhouse Athletics Carnival being one of her favourite days of the school year. In Year 10, Sally was selected for exchange to Westover School in the United States, where she grew in confidence and independence. She made such an impression at Westover, that upon hearing of Sally’s accident, they posted on their social media channels, “Sending healing thoughts from the US, and fondly remembering Sally’s gentle ways and her infectious smile.” Sally and I met every Tuesday at recess to plan the week ahead and to discuss her upcoming speeches. She was always calm, organised and positive, and every time I outlined the next event she was required to speak at, no matter how daunting it seemed or how many assessment tasks loomed on the horizon, Sally always demonstrated enthusiasm and would smile and respond with her favourite word, “lovely”. I will never forget the moment that Sally’s mum, Sonia, contacted me to say that she had been injured in a car accident. No one could have ever imagined the ensuing scenario, with Sally in a coma and in a critical condition in ICU. It was simply incomprehensible. I am eternally grateful to Sonia and Steve for allowing me into their very personal lives, especially in those early days following the accident, when I was able to spend time by Sally’s bed in ICU. And I am also grateful for the support of Fr Richard Pengelley during those visits, along with then Dean of Students, Mrs Rebecca Payne. We regularly travelled together to the hospital to be with Sally to hold her hand, to tell her all the latest School news, to let her know how loved she was by everyone at St Mary’s, and to pray by her bedside. Valedictory Week and the Prefect Handover Assembly were challenging times for everyone, and I know just how proud Sally would have been of her parents and the commendable way that they bravely represented her at a multitude of events. It was an inspirational act of immense courage on a scale rarely seen and one that I have since drawn strength from. We all continued to will and pray for Sally to recover from her injuries and reenter our lives as the vibrant, positive, kind, caring, and intelligent young woman we knew. Sadly, it was not to be. Having watched Sally struggle to recover over that seven-month period, I take great comfort in knowing that she is now at peace. I know that Sally will proudly and faithfully watch over her family and the St Mary’s community, showing us the light, and the way, when we need it the most. In her Head Girl acceptance speech, Sally encouraged us to search for the positives in everything that we do and to find the fun in life when times are hard. I know that Sally will want us to take this advice on board as we continue to struggle to make sense of her loss. Rest in Peace, Sally, knowing that you are so very loved by so many.
Mrs Judith Tudball Principal
DIXIE LEE HARRIS (’65)
17 OCTOBER 1948 – 25 APRIL 2022
Dixie grew up in West Perth and attended St Mary's Anglican Girls’ School from 1954 to 1965. From a young age at St Mary's, Dixie competed at State and National level in gymnastics, and later in her young adult life, in rhythmic gymnastics.
Choreographer, coach and music editor to State and Maccabi
National teams and in musical theatre for 30 years, Dixie also coached St Mary's senior girls in the mid-80s. The St Mary's and
West Australian Maccabi gymnastic teams flourished under Dixie's guidance, being the reigning champions for many years.
Dixie's visionary and innovative leadership in physical culture led her to pioneering rhythmic gymnastics, aerobics and cheerleading in Australia.
Dixie will be remembered for her innovative, creative and passionate zest for performing arts and as a loving mother of four and grandmother.
ST MARY’S ANGLICAN GIRLS’ SCHOOL INCORPORATED 75 Elliott Road Karrinyup Western Australia PO Box 105 Karrinyup WA 6921 TELEPHONE: (08) 9341 9111 WEBSITE: www.stmarys.wa.edu.au
CRICOS Number 00454C
