STUDENT VOICE

Hi Everyone

As this is our final newsletter at Our Lady’s Primary School, we would like to share the speeches delivered at our End of Year Mass. These speeches will also be presented again this evening at our Graduation Ceremony, allowing our wider school community to join us in reflecting on and celebrating this special milestone.

My name is Lisa, and I will be talking to you today about our journey at Our Lady's Primary School. This year I was lucky enough to be a school captain along with Imogen, Hunter and Matteos. It is so hard to believe that we started at this school as little preps who were so adorable. Our voyage at Our Lady’s has helped us evolve as people, and the bonds we made will never break. As we grew, we started preparing ourselves for our lives ahead, but we had the support of our peers, teachers, and families supporting us throughout our journey. The support we give to each other shows us how special our cohort is.

In Prep, we learned how to read, write, listen, and speak. Back then, learning felt simple. We had letters in English and numbers in Maths, and everything seemed to stay in its place. As the years went on, learning became more challenging. Now, we somehow use letters in both English and Maths. I don’t think my Prep self would have seen that coming.

Our Lady’s has taught us the importance of supporting and respecting one another. Some of us are nervous, some of us are energetic and bubbly, but each of us belongs. Primary school has given us so many opportunities, and some of the things we have experienced over the past seven years are things our younger selves could never have imagined.

These last 7 years have been an unbelievable experience. From laughter to tears, we have all been through this adventure of primary school together. At our Lady's we have been taught to be safe, responsible, respectful and kind. These 4 qualities will live on with us as we venture on with life. You all have played an important role in shaping us into who we are now. Your encouragement and help have revealed to us who we are as a person. 

Saying goodbye will not be easy, but we know we will always carry our memories and our joy with us. We began as preps who only knew a few names, and today we leave as something much more than classmates. We leave as a family.

Hello, my name is Matteos Kevorkian, and I am here to talk about some of the highlights from our primary school years. I can confidently say, on behalf of myself and our entire Year 6 community, that we have all enjoyed the many exciting and memorable opportunities we have been given throughout this year and our time in primary school.

Throughout our primary school journey, we have been fortunate to attend several camps. In Year 4, we went to Lyre Bird Park, in Year 5 to Don Bosco, and in Year 6 to The Ranch. Each of these camps challenged us in different ways and helped us grow as resilient individuals, team players, and problem solvers.

There have also been many exciting activities during Year 6. One highlight was the Mini Fete, where we designed our own businesses and sold products and game experiences to students across the school. This taught us valuable skills such as creativity, responsibility, and teamwork.

We also cannot forget the extraordinary effort our Year 6 cohort put into interschool sports. Through training and competition, we learned the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, and integrity. We represented our school with pride, whether we won or lost.

Another important part of our primary school journey was the buddy program, where each Year 6 student was paired with a Prep buddy. This allowed us to guide and support younger students as they began their school journey. Many of us remember our own first day of school, feeling nervous and unsure, and how comforting it was to have an older student there to help us feel safe and welcome.

Finally, our last excursion as Year 6 students was an unforgettable trip to Fun Fields. It was the perfect way to celebrate our final year of primary school. Even though some of us were nervous about the rides, everyone had the opportunity to participate, have fun, and enjoy a safe and exciting day together.

Our sacramental journey was also a meaningful part of our time at school. From learning about forgiveness in Reconciliation in Year 3. Receiving Jesus for the first time in Year 4 through the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist and finally receiving the Holy Spirit this year in the Sacrament of Confirmation, finish off our initiation into the Faith.

These experiences have created lasting memories and helped shape who we are today. They are moments we will always remember as we move on to the next chapter of our journey.

Hello everyone, my name is Hunter. On behalf of the student leaders and my fellow year 6 cohort, I would like to thank and acknowledge all the people who have been with us from prep to tonight. You have been a huge part of our lives and learning, and we are so grateful for your efforts and patience with us. 

I would like to start by acknowledging our classroom teachers: Mr Nario, Miss Phi, Miss O’Keefe, Miss G, Mrs Scarvo and Mrs Rupasinghe for supporting us and teaching us with care, compassion and kindness. Thanks to you for all of your efforts in planning, we have had an awesome year of learning and fun. You made the classrooms so enjoyable that time has flown by this year. 

I would like to now thank all of our specialist teachers, LSO’s and office staff who help our school run. Specialist classes gave us an extraordinary opportunity to learn new skills and subjects, such as learning how to speak Japanese, how to code, how to become a better artist and being able to try different sports in PE. Thank you to the LSO’s who have worked with us from Prep right through to Year 6, supporting us always. Thanks to the office and admin staff, without you, our school would not run. 

Thank you to Mrs Mancuso, Mrs Glouftsis, Mr Pietryk, Mr Iacopino and Mr Whitty and all of the other leadership staff who have supported us as your School Captains, and all the other student leaders and also our year 6 cohort. Thank you for the opportunity for us to be leaders and represent our school and uphold its values. Thank you for giving up many of your lunchtimes to support and guide us in different school initiatives.

To our friends and classmates: thank you for the memories, the laughter, and the journey we’ve shared together.

Lastly, a big thank you goes out to our families, who have been so important in our lives. They have helped us to grow and become our best selves. They inspire us to do our best in everything we do, such as learning, sports, friendships and following our faith. Thank you for all the time you have for us. We love you and appreciate everything you have done and will continue to do for us. 

As we look ahead, let us carry this spirit of gratitude and recognition with us. Let us continue to appreciate the people who guide us, encourage and support us.

We are truly grateful to everyone who has walked beside us on this journey. Tonight is a celebration of all of you as much as it is a celebration of us.

Good evening, I’m Imogen, and I think I can say this on behalf of everyone: Primary school has been a place that has supported you through some of the toughest times. Leaving somewhere that has been such a big part of your life and your story can be difficult. You leave behind your buddy, your learning, the stories, the memories, the fun moments, and a place where you’ve been able to be yourself.

But in high school, it’s much the same. You will make new memories that stay with you forever, experience moments that shape who you become, and build friendships that will be part of your story too.

Throughout our incredible journey in primary school, we have learnt that when we follow our school values—being Safe, Responsible, Respectful, and Kind—we become successful learners who can thrive.

 If you respect others, you receive respect in return. If you take responsibility for your actions, you show leadership and ownership. When you help create a safe environment, everyone can feel happy and comfortable. And when we choose kindness every day, we achieve things we never thought possible.

Our future is wide open, filled with opportunities, unforgettable memories, and people who will support us along the way. With our values guiding us, we can achieve our goals and grow into the people we want to be.

We will all follow different paths, finding futures that reflect what we love and who we truly are. Along the way, we’ll make new friends, discover new subjects, and meet new teachers who will support us through the transition to high school and beyond. And of course, your primary school teachers will always be there for you too.

We would like to thank everyone who has been part of our primary school journey. Without them, we would not have come this far or learnt so much.

Something I hope you all remember is that this is not goodbye—it’s see you later. Always show kindness, keep hope, and stay positive. Good luck to everyone on the exciting journey and adventures ahead. Have a great evening!

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and enjoy the New Year!

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. We cannot wait to see what the new year has to offer. We hope you all continue to be safe, responsible, respectful and kind people at school and out in the wider community.

Please support your new school captains in 2026 and give them some great ideas to work on throughout the year. 

Stay safe over the break, and we hope all goes well for the future!

Signing off for the last time, your 2025 School Captains

Lisa, Matteos, Hunter and Imogen.