We said farewell to the class of 2017 last week at assembly, the Valedictory service and dinner, and we celebrated their prizegiving on Friday night. These ceremonies and rites of passage provide time for us to refect on each girl’s personal development and achievements at St Mary’s.

Each one of the girls has walked a personal journey through senior school. For some it was easier than for others but what stands out for me is that each individual was known and appreciated in the community. Prizegiving is about celebrating individual success, and there certainly was much to celebrate. The class of 2017 has been particularly talented and it was a pleasure to recognise a signicant range of achievement in academics, the arts, sport and service.

More important than recognition and achievement is the personal growth of each individual. Sandile Parirenyatwa in her speech said, “We celebrate every girl’s achievements tonight, although it is imperative to remember that the blazers, the badges and the titles one has received in senior school are not the dening characteristics by which one will be remembered. It is the you who walked the corridors every day and made an impact on someone’s life, the you who embodied the core values of love, community and integrity and the you who participated, worked hard and dared to face new challenges that will be remembered for years to come.”

Robert van Leeuwen reminds us, “Imperfections and failure are as much a blessing as our talents and success. Together we must dare to be ourselves so that we may live beyond our wildest dreams.”

Deanne King

Head of School