Lucy Campbell Clementine (Cece) Newton-Brown Year 12 Co-Captain Final Assembly Speeches 2021

Name: Ms Sarah Bethune Title: Head of ELC Date: 20 August 2021 Strategic Intent: Academic Achievement

STEM IN THE EARLY YEARS

Young children are naturally curious and have an innate desire to explore the world around them. When they explore their surroundings in a hands-on manner, this ignites questions and a need to investigate. This habit of questioning and trying new things lays the foundation for learning in early childhood and continues through the children’s lives. STEM, is the exploration of the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. These areas of learning are incorporated into the early learning program both in a planned and naturally-occurring way. They are also interconnected as children explore these disciplines in a multi-modal manner. Incidental opportunities for the children to engage in STEM learning occur on a daily basis. The discovery of a butterfly in the garden can lead to a conversation and investigation into life cycles. Collaborative block building can become an engineering exercise as the children problem solve the height, weight, angles and balance of their building. An interest in the prehistoric world can be explored through research on the iPad. Play with natural materials and loose parts can lead to a mathematical experience in counting, sorting and classification. Although STEM experiences can occur spontaneously within the classroom program, there are also experiences intentionally planned by our Early Learning educators. In St Catherine’s Early Learning Centre, our STEM learning experiences are linked to the children’s current projects and inquiries. When undertaking an inquiry into volcanoes, educators may plan a science experiment for the children to learn and experience how a volcano erupts. An investigation into the elements of winter may involve the children experimenting with melting ice and learning about liquids and solids. Opportunities for digital research are facilitated by educators and linked directly to the children’s current investigations. As an extension of our classroom STEM learning, the children in our 4-year-old classes also have opportunities to connect with the STEM Lab in St Catherine’s Junior School and our STEM expert, Mr Luke Russell. Through our ‘Step into STEM’ program the children have been able to extend their classroom learnings by experiencing a range of connected STEM experiences in the Lab and access STEM-specific equipment and resources. The children have begun exploring simple coding using the Beebots. They will also have the opportunity to engage in STEM experiences enabling them to explore the concepts of virtual reality, construction/ engineering, electricity, sustainability and more. Learning in the area of STEM occurs daily in our ELC through the children’s observations, explorations, investigations, experimentation and play. The children are naturally curious and amazed by the discoveries they make. This sparks a desire to investigate and a genuine love for learning. “All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind.”

MARTIN HENRY FISCHER

Ms Sarah Bethune

Head of ELC

YEAR 12 CO-CAPTAINS’ FINAL ASSEMBLY SPEECHES 2021

LUCY CAMPBELL

This time last year, Cece and I delivered our first speeches as School Co-Captains to the Class of 2020, where the rest of you watched on a screen from your Form Rooms. In these speeches we acknowledged the strength and resilience of that cohort, and we were truly in awe of how they carried themselves throughout such a treacherous, and unprecedented year of COVID and online learning. Yet, here we are, a year later, and we reflect on a year that really does not seem much different from last. But I do believe it would be inadequate to speak about this year as if it were the same as 2020, as this year has come with its very own unique challenges that we have all had to endure. Where we have had to persevere and truly draw upon the St Catherine’s spirit to get through. However, it is the disappointment and sense of loss we have felt over the past two years that makes this moment so special. The moment where our entire School – teachers and students alike, are sitting in our Hall as one. One group of strong individuals who have survived and conquered over these past two years. Whilst COVID tried its hardest to shut us down, and keep us physically distanced, the strength of a global pandemic just does not stand a chance against the St Catherine’s spirit. We are strong in kindness, in empathy and in warmth. And I believe all our successes this year could not have been achieved without this sustaining force. But what makes us empathetic, kind, and warm? It is our persistent ability to show up and support one another. It is our continuous effort to get involved. And it is our unwavering generosity. This year we have all demonstrated this support more than ever in small and big moments. Whether you went down to support our athletes in Rowing or Football, by cheering along on the sidelines. Whether it was going to online class 1a 1b when it would have been easier to stay in bed. Whether it was simply doing the dares and House challenges presented to you by the Year 12 Cohort that made us feel connected to everyone. Or whether it was turning your microphone on to sing happy birthday to your friend on Teams. Every single action of support this year has helped everyone endure. Especially to the Year 12 Cohort, every individual action has helped the entire team finish this marathon of what we call VCE.

Whether it be reassuring one another in the Common Room that we are all behind in work. Wishing each other good luck for SACS. Constantly posting polls on the Facebook page to decide on themes for events that may or may not happen. Or simply just playing some music in the Common Room to boost the spirits. Overall, it has been the strength of our Cohort to band together in the good times and the bad. Standing with each other as lockdowns are announced and running together

to celebrate the end of our schooling. We truly are a team who have worked together and carried each other through. Throughout the past two years, the generosity of our teachers has really shone. Throughout Learn@Home, all our teachers have truly been forced to merge their school and personal lives together, as we impose on their homes through a screen. To say we are incredibly grateful for your support and warmth throughout such a tough year would be a gross understatement. You have made yourselves available every hour of the day for us, whether that be responding to our emails at 10:00pm at night or calling us on Teams on the weekend to help us with content. Everything you have done has not been overlooked and especially from the Year 12 Cohort, we say thank you. And of course, our School spirit is not isolated to those who walk through the Gates daily. It is also radiated and upheld at home through our families. All our families have watched on for two years of online learning, and undoubtedly have empathy for us. For me, I know that my family’s constant support and presence is what helped me through. Although they were reluctant at times, they would always sit down and listen to me recite countless speeches and listen to me ramble the entirety of all my subjects’ content enthusiastically, to the point where I am sure all of them could sit my exams and write out exactly what I had preached – from the Ottawa Charter Action Areas in Health to the definition of sovereignty in global. Thank you for supporting my every endeavour throughout my entire schooling. For driving me to Tennis and Choir in Year 7 or picking me up from Debating after School when I could have just walked home. And even in these last two weeks, now that exams are over, thank you for constantly trying to help me find clarity in my jumping thoughts of what I am going to do next year, thank you for embracing my stresses. Thank you for facilitating my last-minute enthusiasm, including making my cut-up School dress until 11.00pm the night before I needed it. But most of all, thank you for giving me the greatest gift I could ever ask for, and that is sending me to St Catherine’s. Where we can all agree I have truly made the best friends for life, have had the most extraordinary teachers, and have been given the platform to feel comfortable in myself and pursue whatever my heart desires. Thank you And finally, to the person who embodies the St Catherine’s spirit the most, my partner in crime, Cece. Cece you were the first person I sat next to on my first day of Year 7, and whilst we did not say much, your simple “hi” really did stick with me and immediately made my first day a lot less daunting. Whilst a simple hello does not seem like a lot, it really does reflect Cece’s inclusive nature and how she is genuinely one of the kindest people you will ever come across. Cece you are smart, kind, and funny, and everyone in Year 12 and this School would undoubtedly agree with me in saying that we all wish we were a bit more like you. This year I have genuinely enjoyed writing speeches last minute with you on FaceTime, and always going for the default combined speech. You keep me organised and on track, always reminding me where we need to be and what I need to get done. But not only have I enjoyed being Co-Captain with you this year, I have loved being your friend for the past six. You will always be one of my best friends and it feels fitting that on my last day of school today, I sit next to you, truly completing my journey here. So overall, at St Catherine’s we are a family. A family of Year 12 girls who have each other’s backs, no matter what. We are a family of individuals, from ELC to staff, who would do anything to help each other out. And we are one huge community that can never be broken. Whether you are receiving an Award or celebrating the end of the academic year, we all have something to be proud of. We have all been daring and caring in our actions this year. What we have achieved is not a single effort, it is a testament to the strength of our School and the support and warmth that it radiates within it. So, thank you St Catherine’s, thank you for everything.

CLEMENTINE (CECE) NEWTONBROWN

It is great to be back and speaking to you for my last time. As it is my last speech to you and the last time the Year 12s will be in this Hall with you, I wanted to do something special with them. So, Year 12s, throughout my speech we will be playing ‘never have I ever’, so using one hand, please put a finger down accordingly and I will check back in on the game at the end of my speech. But before that, I would just like to say how glad I am that Lucy and I were able to provide a last address to you all in person and say thank you to everyone involved with making that possible. So, to start off, Year 12s, put a finger down if you have ever competed in a GSV (Girls Sport Victoria) sport against another school. This experience is something I wanted to touch on because Sport at St Catherine’s has been a pivotal part of my school life and development. Whether it is the long Tennis games in the sun, or cold winter mornings for Hockey, every sport at St Catherine’s has impacted me for the better. Most notably, Rowing from Years 8 to 12, has taught me the value of commitment and the strength of comradery. It was not any medal at a regatta that led to this, it was the hours training and the offthe-water relationships with each of the girls. My favourite memory from my season this year was when my crew, The Scott, rowed up to the 500m final at Nationals and we had two Loreto crews either side of us. As we started our usual ruckus of “yeah Scotts,” the two other crews began calling out “yeah Loreto,” and it was quite funny because we all had a shared wavelength where we thought, “no way, let’s make more noise than them,” and we all cheered more, and tapped the boat, which quietened down the other crews. Not only was it the unity of The Scott that stuck with me, but it was also the way, within 30 seconds of our ruckus, we were all ready to race, and we raced as one. Here at St Catherine’s, we have all endured devastating losses and victorious wins in Sport, but the wonderful thing is that no matter the result, we always come out the other side better off, having learned something. This is testament to the network of support we have, of our parents watching our games, or the other girls cheering us on. Sport at St Catherine’s is unlike any other school, and because of this I am so happy that I was able to experience it in my time here. Okay, next up, put a finger down if you have ever been white water rafting on camp. The camps at St Catherine’s are unmatched – to me, every camp has been a chance to become friends with girls you would not necessarily be friends with beforehand. There is something about making your own food and doing it rough that forges new relationships, or the neardeath experiences that bind us all. I still vividly remember dramatically leaning out of my raft, extending my paddle to my partner who had fallen into the river, like it was a life-ordeath situation. And how one of us fell onto our cooking fire in her wetsuit and another got a leech in her eye (both are completely fine by the way). But I bring these up to remind you that it is not the long hikes that you remember, camps are not there as a strictly physical exercise, it is the memories with old and new friends that stay with you. The most amazing thing about camps is that every time you return, your cohort becomes more unified as one, and for my class, we felt that most after Fiji in Year 9. Camps are so underrated, and I wish I could go on another one now. So, enjoy any that you have coming up and make the most of every activity there.