Welcome to the new school year – to those who return after a restful holiday and to the families who join our community. The beginning of a new year holds possibility, and our school is poised to enjoy a good St Mary’s year. It is 135 years since St Mary’s School opened its doors.

We welcomed new students and new staff to the school this week and delighted in seeing the Grade 1s wearing their St Mary’s uniform for the first time. A growing community always brings a sense of abundance.

It is a privilege to begin this year by reporting on our closing activity of 2022. Mrs Howell and Ms Quix travelled to Port Alfred to support our rowers at the annual Boat Race. Ms Quix captures the magic below:

Boat race 2022. Despite our excellent record at this event, seven consecutive wins, this was to be Holy Rosary’s year. Our 1st quad had not beaten them all season and they won with clear water against our crew at Gauteng Champs, at the beginning of November. The heads race on Friday is a tough event as you race yourself, 4km down the Kowie River and the fastest two boats then contest the A final on Saturday. The result of the heads race on Friday afternoon, indicated a Holy Rosary/St Mary’s final, but Holy Rosary had powered their way down the course 40,5 seconds faster than us. To any uninformed bystander, you would think a pretty one-sided final…

For Caitlin Dace (St Mary’s head coach) and her crew, being the underdogs was all the motivation they needed. One cannot be sure of what they ate or what they spoke about, all one has to know is that deep down they knew that just being in the final gave them a chance. With the pressure on the opposition and a clear strategy, St Mary’s came out of the blocks flying and never took the foot off the gas for a second. That does mean rowing at 100% effort for 16 minutes. The entire race was tight, but we seemed to manage to keep our nose ahead, which gave us the advantage at the last two vital corners and perhaps the 52 supporters in red, screaming ballistically as they shot the bridge, was the last bit of encouragement they needed as they kept the late charge from the powerful Holy Rosary crew at bay.

It felt surreal, was it possible that we had turned a 40,5 second deficit into a victory? I am not sure anybody, who doesn’t have a little St Mary’s blood in them believed this was possible. It will go down in the St Mary’s history books as one of our greatest wins ever. I think it was succinctly summed up by the commentator who said: “This river runs red.”

The leaders’ induction was our first event of 2023. It was a formal, if not happy function on Wednesday morning. The Senior School staff and I are looking forward to working with these informed and vibrant young people, the class of 2023, who will shape our school for the future.

On the same afternoon we welcomed the new Senior School girls and their parents to our school community in a service in the chapel, where Revd Rakgadi spoke to the value of the St Mary’s community and urging new parents and girls to experience it, to embrace it whole heartedly*. This is always a poignant service, as the girls light candles to mark the beginning of their senior school educational journey, which will take them into adulthood and their academic futures.

Next week in the Junior School, the Grade 7s and their parents will attend a chapel service to celebrate the start of their final primary school year, praying for it to be a special and rewarding time. Thereafter, all Grade 0 to 7 parents and guardians will have the opportunity to meet with their daughter’s teachers and each other and to mark the start of the 2023 academic year.

As a school community, next week also sees us turn our attention to the release of the 2022 matric results at 00h00 on Wednesday 18 January.

*Both the Revd’s homily and the speech delivered by Danika Neuhoff (head girl 2023) at the leaders induction can be found on the app under Whole School notices / First day back - Wednesday 11 Janaury.

DEANNE KING
HEAD OF SCHOOL