Mrs Michelle Carroll Education, the Weapon to Change the World

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,

although I did not appreciate them in the moment, the Sunday night FaceTime calls, where we would smash out a speech and the way you had me fix your collar every single time we would go on stage, is special to me. I am continually inspired by you, your tenacity and, although you will not admit it, your pursuit of perfection. It has been a blessing to experience this ride with a close friend, so thank you for all we have done together this year, I have enjoyed every moment of it. And to my family. My siblings, Gretel, and James, thank you for your undivided support this entire year, your guidance this year has been invaluable, and thanks for picking up the slack by doing my share of the dishes. And Mum and Dad, I genuinely do not think I could have more loving, generous, and dedicated parents. You have been on this roller coaster with me for 18 years and I would like to say a huge thank you, especially for this year. I am so lucky to have such a great family who have cared for me so persistently and kept me on the right track all the way to the end, I love you all very much. Finally, thank you to all of you, it has been such an honour and privilege being one of your School Captains this year.

Name: Michelle Carroll Title: Principal Date: 23 August 2021 Strategic Intent: Academic Achievement

EDUCATION, THE WEAPON TO CHANGE THE WORLD

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

NELSON MANDELA

Following the COVID-19 pandemic and its unprecedented global disruption to education, UNESCO estimates 11 million girls may never return to school. This is on top of the already staggering estimation that 65 million girls around the world were not already in school prior to COVID-19. It was with great unease and sadness that I watched the coverage of the unfolding situation in Kabul. The disruption of political order has caused profound fear amongst women and their families living in Afghanistan, adding to the humanitarian disaster with 900,000 people already displaced in the past 12 weeks. The dichotomy of experiences evident for young women across the globe, has not been lost on us. This week at St Catherine’s, we congratulated six Year 11 students on their selection to the 2022 Student Executive. These young women are harnessing leadership and advocacy opportunities within our School, guided by our Towards 2025 Strategic Plan, and in particular, our student leadership agenda ‘Use Your VOICES,’ which enables our students to explore and discover their own leadership capacities. This is in stark contrast to the violation of human rights the world fears for the women and young girls of Kabul today. Undoubtedly, the gains made by Afghan women over the past 20 years, particularly in education, employment and political participation, are under grave threat. The Washington Post reported this week on a girls’ school hidden deep in the concrete wall maze of central Kabul. The seniors of the all-girl Zarghoona High School keep one eye on their homework – and the other on the Taliban’s growing territory. Zarghoona students of the Class of 2021, are too young to have experienced the Taliban’s brutal years in power, but they are old enough to understand what they have read in history books. Many of them took their midterm exams last month ahead of graduation later this year, a rite of passage into an increasingly uncertain future. “We share the same thoughts, jokes, plans and even future careers,” said 17-year-old Belqees Niazi. “We want to enjoy our teenage years. We motivate each other. We make each other laugh.” Education can be a powerful weapon to change the world. It is one of the greatest resources the world has to offer. Unfortunately, young girls and women, half of the world’s population, are rarely given the same opportunities as boys to learn, study and succeed. Of the 774 million people who are illiterate around the world, two-thirds are women. There are 33 million fewer girls in primary school than boys. Education is essential for human development; it is the most enduring capital you can provide a child. Despite our own discomfort during online learning, the boredom of our 5km radius and frustration with the lack of clarity around our own city in the forthcoming weeks, I encourage every student, supported by their families, to treasure every day of learning this term.