The final weeks of the school year are focused on examinations and the assessment that they offer us about how each girl has progressed. These results bring closure to the school year, but they do not predict future progress or achievement for any individual. This is important to remember given that examinations cause stress and tension for the girls and their families.

When I spoke last week to the parents and the girls who will join St Mary’s in January 2020, I observed that development is incremental and staggered. It requires patience and is often only observed with hindsight. The path to matric holds challenges, experiences and personal development and so it is beneficial to focus on how we navigate the path rather than merely contemplating the destination. At the same function, our head girl of 2020, Tlou Duba, spoke of lessons learned and the enjoyment of experiencing the highs and lows within the supportive pupil body of St Mary’s School.

It is a delight to hear from the girls who offer honest and personal accounts of their adolescent journeys. The extract below is a personal reflection written for an English creative writing task:

Life is not a shuffle or a race, but a journey that is ours alone to travel. Its success demands that we move freely, at our own pace and in our own direction. It is not only about the destination, but also about the twists and turns, the hurdles and hardships, and our unique challenges and victories along the way. All of these make us the person we are created to be. Comparisons are joy bandits that rob us of our blessings and progress along the road.

... It is through my faith I can be content and joyful because I trust in God’s plan for my life, I do not have to fear missing out or feel inadequate. I will never strive to be someone I am not. I will not let envy rob me of the joy of each blessing and once-off opportunity God has given me in my amazing life ... even if it is not always perfect.

− Hannah Moore, Form III

I am grateful to Hannah for allowing me to share her writing with our community.

Deanne King
Head of school