Page 6 - Southwell School Year Book 2018

PRIZE GIVING ADDRESSES
your late nights, early mornings, Saturday sport, After School Care, Opera support, and all the other extra-curricular activities you undertake for the bene t of our students. Thank you.
A strong roll gives us con dence to plan for more positive improvements and we are greatly looking forward to this coming year.
A quick congratulations and thanks to all
of the parents and caregivers that have supported our children to be here and achieve their respective wins. We all make many sacri ces during the year, whether it be nancial obligations or with our personal time, and your signi cant commitments are hugely appreciated.
Thank you for your support and for the opportunity to talk to you.
Per aspera ad Astrum
Jeff de Leeuw
Trust Board Chairman
HEAD GIRL’S ADDRESS
Today after nine years, I have put on my Southwell uniform for the last time. This comes with mixed emotions for me: excitement, happiness, apprehension,
a tinge of sadness but most of all an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everything that Southwell has offered me, and, of course, the privilege and honour to have been Southwell’s Head Girl for 2018.
I hope my words and thoughts this morning will resonate with the Year 8 leavers in some way - together we are a great bunch of young people.
For Year 5, 6, and 7s: I hope you will take something away from this to inspire you to be the best you can be in your remaining Southwell years.
A wise person once said, ”It’s not happy people who are grateful, its grateful people who are happy.” Southwell offers us so much to be grateful for but maybe we don’t always appreciate or show that. Silent gratitude doesn’t mean much to anyone.
Walking into Southwell each day is a memory that I will never forget. The beautiful environment in which we learn is second-to-none. The well-kept grounds, the Oval, the beautiful roses by Chapel, the Southwell bush, have all been inspiration for my thoughts this morning. We students are a part of this beauty of Southwell too.
Flowers begin as seeds. They need nurturing and feeding, as well as sunshine and love to grow and blossom and be enjoyed by many.
Whatever stage we began at Southwell, whether in the juniors or in later years, would have been a new beginning for us. We were seeds planted into a new environment,
where for most of us we became comfortable after a short time.
To ensure growth, a seed needs to germinate, this happens with the right resources available water:
nutrients and good soil.
Here at Southwell our teachers have watered us every day, inspiring us with their passion and knowledge, taking time to explain things, even when we weren’t listening! Chaplain has shared daily chapel messages with us to feed our soul. All Southwell staff have cared about us and wanted the best for us. Mr Speedy,
I acknowledge the leadership and active support and guidance I have received from you throughout the year. You have taught me so much.
Our parents provide good nutrients for us on a daily basis helping us to grow and ourish. Feeding us yummy meals, loving us, helping us with homework, supporting us on the sports elds, paying our school fees... the list is endless.
Our friends are the good soil who have helped us to grow over the years. Supporting us in our efforts and achievements, always being kind to each other and sharing fun times together.
To Hayden, Sophia, Kristian and the entire prefect team, thank you for your support and for the fun we have had this year along the way.
At times, even in great gardens, weeds appear. We have all had tough times at school, where things haven’t gone right for us. Being able to cope with these random jolts is what makes us resilient, one of our core Southwell values. We mustn’t give up just because things are hard, we mustn’t be afraid to ask for advice from others. Whilst we all aim for excellence, we can’t always all be the best at everything. Instead we need to be grateful for the opportunities that we have. At Southwell these opportunities are endless.
Attending Southwell has shown me what it means to value tradition and be grateful for all those Southwell men and women who have contributed to the history of this school.
In conclusion, I challenge each and every student here to be happy so you ourish and succeed beyond Southwell.
Like owers, students grow and ourish at different rates. There are many
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Southwell School Yearbook 2018