CGS CLASS OF 2024 FINALE

– Oliver Thompson, Deputy Head (Head of Senior School)

The final weeks with our Year 12 students were full of joy and a strong sense of community. Leaving your school is never easy, even when itching to move on to the ‘next thing’. All schools bring routine, belonging and collective endeavour. At CGS, there is much more for our students to find individual purpose and meaning in their education through their academics, co-curricular, House or the broader school community. Our Year 12 students, in those final weeks, would have reflected on their entire journey through the School.

From the Formal in June to the Valedictory in September, our graduating class has embarked on many rites of passage. The ‘final moments’ come throughout the year; some are welcome, and some are less so. I am sure many students were pleased to sit their final assessments, hand in their last formal assignment, or thank the teacher for the subject they may have endured more than enjoyed. However, in those contrasting moments, schools create a safe and meaningful space for struggle, and if our students take time to reflect, I am sure they will also miss that class, those assignments and working things out with their peers whether in the quad, House area or classroom.

The School’s opportunity to farewell the class was meaningful, ranging from the Boarders Dinner and Chapel Service, Groove in the Quad, House locker room decorations, dress up day and final Chapel. On the final day, many of our students will remember the profound moments of the Smoking Ceremony, assembly, and March Out for the time to come. Seeing our Year 12 students in an arc on the Main Oval with our Indigenous Students helping to lead a Smoking Ceremony was compelling, and we should be proud of how many of our students embrace our diversity and celebrate such a rich and vital part of who we are as a School on this ancient land.

We should all be proud of the graduating class. They have made the most of their time at CGS, built lasting friendships, and hopefully feel ready for the next step and the world beyond our walls. They have brought so much with them along the way, contributing positively to the fabric and history of the School. Their sense of service and dedication to that spirit was commendable. We have seen them raise over $75,000 for Movember and Sydney Royal Children’s Hospital alone and raise significant funds for other causes. They have embraced the opportunity to mentor younger students, give their time generously to Sony Camp, be recognised with individual and group accolades at a local and national level, and yet still navigate the challenges of a rigorous and demanding academic programme in the HSC or IBDP.

Like our Captains at Valedictory, where we graduated 209 students, presented 80 individual awards and presented 19 medals, I want to thank many who have made it possible. The School leadership and their broader teams across all sections of the School have worked tirelessly to support our students and ensure the resources, facilities, and experiences are of the highest quality. To the parents and friends of CGS, thank you for your support of the School and, most importantly, the young person you have navigated these waters with. Our students come from diverse backgrounds, and you have contributed as much to who we are as they have. And finally, to the Class of 2024. Thank you for the School you have handed on. We wish you all the best of luck for the journey ahead, wherever that may take you, and we hope you always feel connected to your School.