Okay, put a finger down if you have ever been nervous on stage. Yeah, I was about five minutes ago, but the great thing is that here, St Catherine’s both enables and supports stage fright. We are given so many opportunities to feel nervous, whether that is Debating, Public Speaking, performing in a musical or a play, or simply performing in Drama class. Whether you like it or not, you always learn something from nerves. When I was in Year 8, I was at the Gala Concert in the orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and it sounded amazing, but I was so nervous that I was going to make a mistake and somehow the audience would be able to deduce that it was my violin that had played the wrong note among all the instruments. So, as later pointed out by my sister who sat at the back of the Hall and could see me, I was air playing, just moving my bow up and down, hovering above the strings. Afterwards, I came to the obvious realisation that I had not done enough violin practice. But more importantly, I did not get in trouble or scolded for not playing and that is what was so special, that when we are given these opportunities to feel nervous in front of a lot of people, whether you are amazing or completely flop, there are no consequences. Here we are given the opportunity to fail and consequently the opportunity to grow, which is something that should not be shied away from. All right, put a finger down if you have ever had a teacher go out of their way for you. This one is one of the defining factors of St Catherine’s. We undeniably have the best teachers ever. Not only have they been resilient and inspiring over the past couple of years, but it is the little things they do that really amaze me. Offering to Teams call on the weekend or during their holidays, and always going the extra mile to make sure we understand concepts, are just a couple of examples of how your support has been invaluable to us.
A couple of examples are, one day I was feeling a bit down and Ms Cortez brought me chocolates to cheer me up, or Ms Gunn motivating our Year 7 Water Polo Team with Haigh’s, and of course Mrs Matt giving us chocolates and biscuits after our SACs. And yes, the instances I remembered all centred around chocolate, but it is what the chocolate represents rather than the actual food, it is the encouragement and support. I know I am not alone when I explain how the teachers go beyond for us, and they are the backbone of St Catherine’s, so I would like to extend a thank you to all the teachers for your never-ending support. Finally, put a finger down if you were part of the best cohort ever (girls you should all be putting down a finger). I would like to give a shout out to the Class of 2021, this year, even with all the difficulties, has still been my favourite year with you yet. The chats in the toastie lines at lunch or spares, where we took a well-earned break and had a chat – I will never forget. I am so proud of each one of you. I am proud to say that I was a part of this Cohort, so thank you for a wonderful year. And while we are here, could you all please hold up your hand with how many fingers you have left so everyone can see…not only was this game a snippet of our time here, but this is what is to come for you all in the coming years. It is what we are celebrating today, the sporting, creative and academic achievements and the diverse range of opportunities open to you at St Catherine’s. I thoroughly encourage you all to take advantage of these opportunities. I know it is said every year, but time really does fly. You only get to do school once, and so I implore you to get involved and dare to take up all these opportunities. Before I leave, I would like to say thank you to my Co-Captain, Lucy. Thank you, Luce, for being my partner on this journey,
