School Captains Graduation Speech

Last night, the 2024 School Captains led parents, teachers, and students on a heartfelt journey through their time at POPS. It was a memorable evening, filled with stories and reflections that celebrated the milestones and achievements of this remarkable graduating class.

Take a moment to read and enjoy some of the highlights from the graduates of 2024!

My name is Jeyda and this is Josh and we have been honoured to be the 2024 School Captains for Park Orchards Primary School. Tonight after many years at POPS, is the day we say farewell to our amazing primary school. We would like to take you through our journey that we have experienced over the past 7 years at POPS.

FOUNDATION, I still remember the very first day of school. We felt so special when both of our parents came in and gave us a big hug and kiss before saying goodbye. We felt so grown up when we finally made it to 100 days at school. Everyone came in with so much joy and excitement, wearing all our colourful tops with a smile from one ear to the other. We all had the best day of the whole year after making our 100 days of school hats and wearing them for the entire day, even after we got picked up. In Prep, I remember going to Chesterfield Farm for our first-ever excursion and had such an incredible time seeing all the farm animals. Everyone was so excited and had a fabulous day.

YEAR ONE, Personally I started at POPS in Grade 2, although having spoken with friends we had similar experiences at the 2 schools. In Year 1, the POPS kids participated in Y1/2 Sport, which gave them the opportunity to create new friendships with all the Year 1 and 2 students. This was all my friend's highlight of each week! Another fun activity was getting Do-Jo points that were awarded by our teachers for being well-behaved, doing kind and nice things for others or picking up rubbish. For those who started at POPS, they were given Foundation buddies which was a great experience to meet new kids and also be a role model to the younger students. Year 1 also gave us the opportunity to explore the schoolyard and play on different equipment. I loved running on the oval at my old school!

In YEAR TWO I remember COVID started and we had to be home-schooled. The day we got told we were going to be home-schooled everyone was so shocked. We had to pack everything up into our book boxes and take them home. We were in a little bit of disbelief that we would most likely not be returning for the rest of the year. Thankfully we came back after spending many weeks or maybe months at home. We spent the time sleeping in and then rolling out of bed to make it in time for our Webex classes. Even though the sleep-ins were good I know everyone missed their friends more than ever. This year went sooooo slow but then year three finally rolled in.

Sadly YEAR THREE was another year of COVID and home-schooling. My family and I escaped Victoria many times throughout the year and usually ended up on a beach swimming and snorkelling. Homeschooling was tough and most of us hated learning over Webex. I would like to give a special mention to our parents and carers for the support we received throughout this time. When we were at school in Year 3 we had many opportunities to participate in lots of sports, including; swimming, athletics, cross country and 3/4 Sport. These were obviously my favourite things! At the end of Year 3, we were lucky enough to go to Candlebark Farm for our first camp. Although the camp was shortened to one precious night, we were all so grateful for the experience. Then after what felt like forever, Year four finally came around after an epic school holiday with no COVID and lots of catch-ups with mates!

YEAR FOUR, this year we finally returned to school full-time after two years in lockdown and home-schooling. It felt like such a short and quick year but was one of my favorite years in primary school. In Year Four we were able to do Bike Ed which was very exciting. We got the opportunity to do the 14km bike ride, which was so much fun. We rode from Warrandyte to Templestowe and then had a sausage sizzle and a play in the park. In Year Four we had our second camp and went to Sovereign Hill where we were able to do gold panning, see the light show and lots more. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell you much more because I got COVID-19 on the second day, but the time I was there with everyone was very enjoyable.

YEAR FIVE was a great year, filled with lots of fun activities and excursions. We got our Foundation buddies, some more crazier than others! We went to Phillip Island for camp, which was by far my favourite camp. Interschool sports began and we competed against other schools. We went to the Poo Farm for an excursion. This was not about our own poo but the sewerage plant. It sounds gross but it was actually interesting. We also had a Chinese incursion. We participated in the netball and cricket gala day which was super fun. Hooptime was another opportunity for us to compete. This was the first year we did Genius Hour and Digi Tech where we learnt to work as a team. At the end of Grade 5, we were given the opportunity to go for leadership roles.

YEAR SIX, WOW! What a year I don't know where to begin. This year has been the best year ever. We went to so many places like, the Young Leaders Conference, Canberra Camp, we will get to go on the Big Day Out, and today's graduation. The Young Leaders Conference was definitely a highlight of our year, we had such an amazing time and we were able to get tips from young leaders themselves. In years 5 and 6 we had an awesome opportunity to try out for School Sports Victoria. This was definitely a highlight for everyone who participated. Earlier this year we had a joyful experience in Chinatown where we learnt all about the Chinese migrants and all the reasons they moved to Australia. This year we loved the surf life-saving day, it was the perfect weather and the water colour was so blue. Over all this year has been so amazing and one of my favourites of all my years at POPS.

POPS has been an amazing school and I feel privileged to be a student here.

To our incredible teachers, thank you for your patience, your guidance, and for believing in us.

To our parents and families, thank you for your constant support. Whether it was helping us with late-night projects, cheering us on at sports day, or simply being there to listen, your love has been our greatest strength.

And to my fellow students, the Graduates of 2024, what an amazing journey it has been! Together, we’ve learned to solve math problems, write stories, and explore science experiments. But more importantly, we’ve learnt teamwork, resilience, and how to be good friends. I know I've made some great mates. We've all shared laughs, supported each other through challenges, and created memories that will last a lifetime.

As we prepare to move on into high school, I want us to remember that success is not just about getting the best grades or winning awards. It’s about kindness, integrity, and making the world a better place.

Together, we’ve made our school proud, and I have no doubt we’ll continue to make a difference wherever we go.

Thank you for listening and congratulations to the Graduates of 2024!

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