Principal's Reflections

Recently we had the delight of upholding some of the rites of passage for our Year 12 students. Some of these included their dress as a teacher day, dress in a different uniform day, a BBQ lunch, breakfast with their teachers, celebration day and of course their formal final assembly.

Unfortunately parents and carers were not able to attend their final gathering, but we will share the link with them very soon. Our final assembly is a very emotional time for most students; a combination of relief that their course work is officially over but also the sense of loss of the MFG community. As I write this the Year 12s have just left after having a celebratory morning of dress ups, dancing, pranks and lots of blowing of whistles. I thank them for their respectful, safe and fun celebrations.

As a school community we wish the VCE students well for their exams and all of the Year 12s a wonderful life full of adventures, challenges and fun.

Below is part of my speech at the final assembly.

A special hello and cheer to you this afternoon our graduating class of Year 12 2021.

I have had the delight of watching most of you grow from innocent young tweens into more worldly and definitely more confident young people who are ready, very soon, to embrace life’s new adventures.

Look at how cute you were 😊 

I don’t know if you remember but in 2016, on your first morning at MFG I told you one of my many stories that you have heard over your time at MFG. 

The one I shared with you was about whales and how they work together by swimming in spirals to capture the krill in the air bubbles they blow out. 

If they did not work together then they would not be able to eat so well. 

I explained that you were now part of our MFG community and I asked you to work together and help each other settle into high school.

I also told you a story about my summer holidays where I spent the holidays learning how to drive our tractor. 

So why did this grey headed old woman in her 50s tell you about learning to drive a tractor?

I had a property and learning how to drive a tractor came in handy when I needed to move lots of things on my little farmlet. At the time, I had not quite learnt to drive the tractor “yet”. 

Now, I am proud to say, with practice and effort, I have mastered the tractor and in order to do so I had to show persistence and effort. 

Why did I share this story with you? 

It was about persistence and the willingness to keep trying if you haven’t quite mastered something “yet”. I encouraged you to show persistence even when things were hard.

Over the next month it will be tough and you will need to persist and put in effort, even when you would prefer to be out with friends, earning money or doing anything other than studying for your exams. I urge you to stay focussed, seek feedback from your teachers and be willing to put in the effort to finish well. 

In 2017 we got the grant from the Government to refurbish the buildings on our Main site. I asked you what you would like us to spend our money on.

You responded with the following:

• Better heating
• Cooler classrooms
• Colour – lots of colour
• Make it easy to find the teachers
• Nature/garden inside and outside
• Classes where you can see out and overflow into corridors but not big open space classrooms
• Places to plug in your technology

I think we have achieved most of these things. 

I am so pleased that you have enjoyed our refurbished facilities.

In 2018 I had the delight of being 9L’s Home Group Teacher.

My goodness the bickering between you and the fun you created - it was a bit of a roller coaster year. 

The class was just like a class of siblings – you knew how to irritate each other and how to take delight in and support each other too. Here are some pictures of us eating SMORES together in the garden.

In Term 4 2018, some of you went on the French trip. 

This was an amazing trip but it was also a significant time for Lauren Newell who got very sick whilst attending this trip. Lauren, as you all know, struggled with a brain tumour and should have been with us all here today, but sadly isn’t.

We have an empty chair for Lauren today. I wonder if we might also take a minute’s silence to remember Lauren now.

Thank you for doing this Year 12s.

I have also asked Sienna to come up and share with us some memories of Lauren.

Thank you Sienna, that was very brave of you.

Year 12 is meant to be a tough year, but also a celebratory year where you make your final bonds with everyone in your year level, attend lots of 18th birthday parties, learn to drive and finally commemorate finishing school together. 

Sadly, many of these things have not happened or have had to be modified in order to keep each other safe. 

And this is the point I want to make today – you have given each other the best gift you can, you have kept each other and your families safe. I ask that you continue to do this for just a bit longer.

I thank you for your care of each other through the challenges of home isolation and for your leadership of our school community over the course of your time at MFG. 

Thank you for continuing to work together like hump back whales 😊

While this is not the year I would have chosen for you, it is a year that you will remember better than any other. 

I hope Year 12s as you leave us you will remember there is much in your past that is worth thinking about and learning from. 

And there is much in your future that is worth planning for and being excited about. 

But always remember throughout your life that you will only have the present moment. Always aim to celebrate the goodness and opportunities of the present. Remember to enjoy each day and all that it brings.

I want to leave you with a quote from one of my favourite people, Winnie the Pooh: 

“What day is it?" asked Pooh. "It's today," squeaked Piglet. "My favorite day," said Pooh.

Good bye Year 12s and remember to … “keep looking forward.”

Ms Michelle Crofts 

Principal of Matthew Flinders Girls